


In shadows we trust

by farbsturz



Category: DCU (Comics), Super Sons (Comics)
Genre: Bat Family, M/M, Slow Burn, also embarrassing and difficult brothers but damian still cares about them, and these doppelgängers are their hero persona, basically the AU is about a handful of people, damian grew up with the league but has been with the batfamily for a while, friends to awkward crushes to lovers, shadow AU, who are capable of creating a doppelgänger of themselves
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-21
Updated: 2019-06-23
Packaged: 2020-01-23 14:45:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 31,672
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18551896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/farbsturz/pseuds/farbsturz
Summary: People who could create shadows were rare in this world. Being able to manifest one's deepest desires and wishes into a form was a talent only those with great skills and mind could accomplish. The shadows were perfect copies of the original, however they couldn’t talk and their eyes were as blank as their non existent soul. Shadows and originals shared their thoughts, emotions and physical appearance.Hurt one and the other will suffer as well.





	1. Chapter 1

Pebbles scrunched beneath his boots as he ran over the roofs of this godforsaken city, slowly closing in on the criminals who tried to run from something they couldn’t comprehend. He had spotted them while on patrol and gloved hands had been twitching for a few faces to punch. The grappling hook was readied as he once again jumped from a skyscraper, adrenaline rushing through his body as the feeling of the free fall washed over him. The wind messed up his hair and he absentmindedly heard the sound of his cape fluttering before he shot his hook to the next building. It didn’t take a second before the rope straightened and the boy easily swung towards the next roof where he absorbed the landing with a roll. Smirking, the hunter showed teeth as his attention never left his prey.

 

* * *

 

The hair on his neck stood up before he could feel the warm breath that curled around him, the presence behind him looming over his shoulder as he noticed a face in the corner of his eyes. A brow twitched in annoyance and a moment later he threw his body back into his predator to get the much needed space. He heard a yelp as the person behind him fell onto their butt and with a satisfied huff the boy turned around to cross his arms.

 

“I would appreciate it if you would stop entering my room without knocking, Grayson.”

 

The man on the ground simply laughed and stood up once again, brushing off the imaginary dust as he began to lean against the younger boy’s table.

 

“And I would appreciate it if you would show me your drawings one day, little D.”

 

Green eyes rolled at the nickname and Damian closed the sketchbook with a sigh, pencil neatly placed next to it.

 

“In your dreams.”

 

Grayson simply smiled and ran a hand through his hair as Damian huffed softly. It wasn’t every day that his oldest brother came to visit the manor and even though the boy would never admit it, he quite enjoyed the presence of the extroverted acrobat. Normally he would have sent away whoever had dared to enter his room but when it came to Richard, Damian couldn’t help but make an exception.

 

Watching as the older one pulled something out of his bag, green eyes widened in excitement and it took the boy a second to quickly force his expression into a more neutral one. But the slip of emotions hadn’t gone unnoticed - of course not - and Damian scolded at the satisfying smirk on his brother’s face.

 

“I said I would order the new game. And guess what arrived today.”

 

Faking indifference, Damian coughed into his hand and began to tidy up his already clean desk.

 

“Did you simply come by to show off your not too horrible taste in video games or why do I have to endure you today, Grayson?”

 

The oldest brother merely grinned and began to wave the game in front of Damian’s face.

 

“Did you finish your homework for tomorrow, little bat?”

 

The boy rolled his eyes. Of course he had finished them hours ago.

 

“Race you to the living-room!”

 

And with that Grayson was already out of his room and even though Damian didn’t want to give his brother the satisfaction of playing along, he found himself sprinting after the other as fast as he could.

 

“Not fair, Grayson!”

 

* * *

 

Perching on the roof next to a gargoyle, the masked figure waited impatiently as the criminals began to arrange themselves in a circle to protect each other’s back. He huffed and straightened his back slightly, analyzing their flawed defense as he decided how to take them off guard. The boy reached into his gauntlet belt and pulled out a small ball before letting it fall to the ground. The second it hit the concrete smoke exited and the criminals began to scream and cough as it quickly spread among them.

 

The boy scanned the area one more time before he finally jumped down from the building, green gloved fingers already twitching in the anticipation of a fight.

 

His landing was as quiet as always and the activated vision in his mask only helped him spotting each of the criminals. He broke the first man’s nose with ease, twirled another’s arm into a more than painful direction as his foot connected with the chin of another. Panicked yells and screams tore through the smoke and the boy found himself smirking. His way of fighting resembled a deathly dance as he easily dodged and turned, taking out one man after another.

 

Face hidden beneath a hood and mask, the boy fought his way through the criminal gang and broke everyone’s hand who dared to touch his cape. These men were no match to him but something suddenly changed and the boy’s hidden eyes widened at the warm and unusual feeling spreading through his chest. The surprising happiness inside him threw him off and the boy was distracted for just a second too long as a knife appeared in the smoke, tearing through his sleeve and leaving a bloody cut.

 

The boy clicked his tongue in annoyance and the sudden wave of aggression he felt helped him taking down the last of the men. His breathing was heavier than before and masked eyes scanned the injury. It wasn’t too bad but _he_ wouldn't be pleased at all.

 

* * *

 

His tongue was stuck out in concentration as his fingers danced over the buttons of the controller, green eyes focused on the big TV in front of him. Richard was sitting next to him in borrowed PJs from Jason, blue just as concentrated as the brothers tried to outplay each other in the game. Damian secretly loved the gaming evenings he had with the other man and it were times like these that he could almost feel like a normal teenager spending time with his annoying brother. Drake was in the cave and the boy didn’t care where Todd was. All he wanted was to be with the person who he felt most comfortable with.

 

Damian was pulling off a more than impressive combo of punches as a sudden pain shot up his arm and with a surprised yelp he let go of the controller. The game was immediately paused and Grayson was by his side within a second, worry and concern obvious in his furrowed brows.

 

“Dami, what’s wrong?”

 

His voice was gentle and soft as the boy could see his brother’s attention wandering towards the arm he was holding protectively. Breath hitching, Damian could see the confusion making place for suspicion and he slightly turned away.

 

“Damian…”

 

Great. Now Grayson was pitying him. He could almost hear the disappointment.

 

“Grayson. Don’t.”

 

But his brother moved anyway and Damian knew there was no use in struggling. He allowed the other to help him out of his hoodie, revealing a nasty cut on his arm. Richard sighed but didn’t say anything as he stood up to get one of their first aid kits.

 

Damian hated it. Hated the way the others treated him like a dumb child. Hated how they didn’t trust him after all this time. He clicked his tongue and tried to mask the anger he felt towards that stupid idiot.

 

_Everything was going just fine and then he had to get himself injured._

 

Grayson returned soon enough and kneeled down in front of the teenager to treat the cut. Luckily the man had the decency to leave out any lecturing. Damian could only guess that his brother knew how he must be feeling.

 

“Where is he?”

 

The boy stayed silent.

 

“Dami, please. You know I don’t want to supervise him. But if he’s hurt he might need backup. Please tell me where Robin is.”

 

Reluctantly, Damian closed his eyes to check up on his other self. He sighed heavily and rested his forehead against Grayson’s shoulder in defeat.

 

“Near the Wayne Tower. South west. In an alley.”

 

Damian felt his brother nodding and green looked up just in time to see black mist emitting from the man’s body. It took the blink of an eye before another Grayson stood in the room with them, this one wearing a black and blue outfit with two escrima sticks fixed to his back.

 

“Nightwing, could you go and check up on Robin?”

 

Richard seemed to study Damian for a few seconds and the boy tried not to flinch back under the judging gaze.

 

“If he’s okay you two may go on patrol for another hour. But not longer.”

 

The doppelgänger simply nodded and smiled softly as he ruffled Damian’s hair to ease the mind a bit. Before he could slap the hand away, however, Nightwing was already jumping out of the window.

 

“Grayson, I-”

 

“It’s okay, Dami.”

 

Green glanced up to meet blue and the boy’s tense muscles relaxed slightly as he saw the gentle smile on his brother’s lips. The boy allowed himself to be pulled into a hug, took a deep breath as warm arms rested around him protectively.

 

“I know you want to go on patrol. But you need to listen to Bruce. You know how he can get when we don’t follow his orders.”

 

“It will take years before Father trusts me enough not to kill anyone while out there. For him I’m only a weapon which should be locked away.”

 

The hold on him tightened.

 

“Red Robin is allowed to go out by himself. Nightwing and Batman are out all the time. Even Todd uses Red Hood however he pleases. Why am I the only one who isn’t allowed to go out?”

 

Grayson rested his head on top of Damian’s and the boy listened to his brother’s heartbeat as the other thought about a response.

 

“We trust you, Damian. Bruce does too, even if he doesn’t show it. We are just scared that something might happen to Robin out there. You have the skills and the brain for outside work but you lack in experience. And we want to give you the experience. But for that we need to send someone out with you to make sure Robin won’t get overwhelmed or hurt. Like tonight.”

 

Damian could feel a foreign annoyance blossom within himself and he sighed slightly.

 

“Guess Nightwing found Robin. He doesn’t feel happy at all.”

 

That earned him a laughter from his brother.

 

“Funny. Meanwhile Nightwing feels more than excited to go on patrol with his baby bird.”

 

Pushing himself out of the embrace, Damian checked the bandage on his arm and clicked his tongue.

 

“Father will be angry, right?”

 

Grayson’s expression frowned slightly and the man ran a hand through his hair.

 

“Angry because he will be worried. But yes… I will come by tomorrow afternoon, okay? I will talk to him, tell him that Nightwing was just late and that we had decided to go on patrol together without telling him.”

 

The boy’s head snapped up and wide green met blue eyes, surprise and a hint of affection obvious.

 

“You would lie to Father?”

 

Richard only smiled and ruffled the teenager’s hair like his doppelgänger had done before.

 

“It will be a secret between the two of us. But only if you promise me that you will be more careful and patient. I will try and talk Bruce into letting you out more often and in return you wait for Nightwing to accompany Robin. Deal?”

 

Damian allowed himself to show one of his rare smiles and he accepted the controller gratefully as his brother offered it to him.

 

“Deal.”


	2. Chapter 2

Dick Grayson didn’t know what was more welcoming: The excited dog jumping at him the moment the front door was unlocked, the tasty cookie scent coming from the kitchen or the sleep deprived and coffee addicted brother sitting at the counter with yet another mug.

 

A soft huff escaped the young man and Dick petted Titus as he placed his bag on one of the chairs. 

 

“Good afternoon, Timmy. Or should I say good morning?”

 

His little brother didn’t seem to appreciate the good mood but Dick merely shrugged his shoulders as he quickly stole one of the freshly baked cookies. He peeked over the teenager’s shoulder and scanned yet another case his brother was working on for their father. 

 

“How’s the work going?”

 

He took a bite off the cookie and leaned against Tim’s chair, reading through the different newspapers the other had opened in tabs. 

 

“Slow. Those criminals Robin hunted yesterday seemed to belong to a bigger organization but thanks to a certain someone they were all brought to the hospital first. I can’t investigate so easily if our main lead is stuck in a surgery because of broken ribs and arms. I had planned to send Red Robin to follow them but for now we will have to think of something else.”

 

Humming, Dick sauntered over towards the cupboards and began to fill himself a mug of coffee as he thought about the other’s words. 

 

“If you know about yesterday night then so does Bruce, right?”

 

Tim merely nodded and held out his mug to be refilled. Dick complied and leaned against the table, taking a sip of the black drink. 

 

“Did he talk to Damian yet? I had hoped I could get to him before he would clash with Dami. When these two argue there’s always something or someone getting hurt.”

 

_ And most of the time it’s Damian.  _

 

The teenager placed his mug back onto the table and closed his laptop to pay full attention to the older one. Dick could see the exhaustion and stress portrayed in tired eyes and he had to bite his lip to keep the concerned statements to himself. Tim wouldn’t rest until he finished whatever he was working on and the acrobat shouldn’t burden him with his worry.

 

“They were fighting in the cave and when it got louder I decided to continue my work up here. I think they stopped an hour or so ago judging by the way Damian had slammed doors around that time.” 

 

Dick winced slightly and could only imagine how Bruce’s harsh and commending tone had affected his little brother. While Damian was still rough on the edges he was a good kid and Dick knew that Bruce could see that. But these two had the emotional depth of a goldfish bowl and the acrobat doubted that he would see the day they would openly talk about their feelings and thoughts. Damian was bleeding for acceptance but Bruce wasn’t one to openly praise his sons over and over again. 

 

“I will see how our baby bat is doing. Do you know where he went?”

 

He placed his now empty mug back onto the counter and petted Tim’s shoulder as the last piece of the cookie vanished in his mouth. 

 

“He’s probably in the training room. Sounded like he had some steam to get rid off.”

 

Thanking his younger brother, Dick took a deep breath and left the kitchen to head to the west side of their home. 

 

If Damian needed to throw a few punches he wouldn’t mind playing the punching bag for his family. 

 

* * *

 

People who could create shadows were rare in the world. Being able to manifest one's deepest desires and wishes into a form was a talent only those with great skills and mind could accomplish. The shadows were perfect copies of the original, however they couldn’t talk and their eyes were as blank as their non existent soul. Shadows and originals shared their thoughts, emotions and physical appearance. Hurt one and the other will suffer as well.

 

Sighing to himself, Dick leaned against the doorframe and just watched as Damian fought against his other self. He could see the irritation and frustration in Robin’s face regardless the mask he was wearing as the two sparred to get off some steam. Damian was angry, frustrated, and hidden behind all these layers of wrath was a hurt child. A child who didn’t feel loved by his father, a child which so desperately wanted to be accepted and be a part of the family’s business. 

 

Dick suddenly felt a cold hand on his shoulder and he didn’t need to look away from the training to know that Nightwing had manifested himself. Everyone’s relationship to their shadows was different. The acrobat knew that Bruce saw Batman as an equal partner. Tim saw Red Robin more as an assistant for his work, while Red Hood and Jason could be referred to as partners in crime.

 

And Nightwing? Nightwing was Dick’s best friend, his partner, his brother. The two of them had gone through so much shit together and the young man couldn’t imagine seeing the other as a mere weapon or a tool to use. 

 

But Damian and Robin… Well, their relationship was more than complicated. Thanks to Damian’s own stubbornness, Robin was just as reluctant when it came to orders or missions. The shadow didn’t listen to anything Damian had to say and in return the boy scolded and yelled at him. Even now Dick could see through their sparring that a part of them wanted to hurt each other for the frustration they felt. 

 

Pushing himself off the wall, the man waved his shadow over and together they sauntered towards their little brothers. Dick noticed the bruises and cuts on both their bodies and sighed quietly. Leave it to Damian to hurt his shadow and himself in a form of silent punishment. 

 

“Hey, little D.”

 

The man smiled and began to stretch his arms, Nightwing mirroring his actions as masked eyes lingered on Robin. 

 

Dick turned his attention towards the little boy as well and jokingly bowed down, motioning towards Damian. 

 

“I hope you don’t mind if I have this next dance with my brother?”

 

Blue eyes could see the silent ‘tt’ Robin made but the baby bird was already following Nightwing towards another mat. 

 

“I wasn’t done with him, Grayson.”

 

The words and expression were harsh but the wavering tone didn’t go unnoticed to Dick. No matter how great of an actor his little brother was, Damian would never be able to fool him. 

 

“Judging by the many bruises on your body, you were.”

 

The man continued to stretch his arms and legs for several moments until he finally took on a fighting stance. 

 

“Tim told me you and Bruce had a fight. Your anger is understandable but neither Robin nor you should suffer because of it, Damian.”

 

The reply he got in return came in the form of a leg and Dick dodged it with ease as he jumped back. The younger boy went with his movement and continued to attack with precise attacks aiming for the weaker spots Damian had found out over the months they had trained together. However, the acrobat didn’t allow his little brother to hit him once as he continued to dodge, waiting patiently for an opening to attack.

 

“Drake should pay more attention to the mess he calls his own life before gossiping about others. He has enough problems with his pathetic chaos and is in no position to judge me or my actions.”

 

He finally went in to counterattack, watched as the younger one dodged his fists only to attempt to kick his stomach. The acrobat turned and danced around Damian in the hope to take the other off-guard but the little assassin knew how to defend his back and quickly kicked the man’s legs from under his body. With a yelp Dick fell onto his back and within a second Damian sat on top of him, securing his arms and legs so he couldn’t get away. Wriggling to test the restraints, the man tapped the mat beneath him. 

 

“I give.”

 

Damian climbed off of him and offered a hand Dick gratefully took. Standing up, blue eyes glanced over towards their doppelgängers and the acrobat felt a bit embarrassed when he saw that Nightwing had won.  _ I gotta step up my game.  _

 

He moved back into position and waved his brother over in a mocking way.

 

“Did Bruce tell you about the gala this weekend?” 

 

It was his turn to attack and Dick closed the distance between them within seconds, an odd elegance to his movements as he moved light-footed and swung his right at his baby brother as a distraction for his left to hit the other’s stomach. Damian couldn’t react in time and Dick used the extra second he got to throw his brother over his shoulder, securing his arm in an hold which could easily break a bone or two. Green eyes glared up and the older one couldn’t help but smirk as his breath began to calm down again. The brothers stared at each other for several long moments until Damian finally tapped the mat. 

 

“I give.”

 

Letting go, Dick took a few steps back again and stretched his arms as a yawn left him. 

 

“I don’t understand why we have to accompany him to that idiotic gala. I would rather help Pennyworth clean the manor than be surrounded by ridiculous suit wearers who gossip about the newest celebrity.” 

 

The acrobat huffed in amusement as he saw the slight pout on the baby assassin’s lips and he couldn’t help but ruffle Damian’s hair in affection. His hand was quickly slapped away but that didn’t stop Dick’s amusement.

 

“Well, they invited the Wayne family so we don’t have a say in this matter. And look from the bright side - It’s been months since we last visited Metropolis. When we survive the gala and its boredom, I will take you to the arcade the next day. But only if you behave and act like the good, spoiled and charmed son of Wayne.”

Dick sauntered over towards a table and reached for a towel to wipe off some of the sweat as he threw a water bottle towards the smaller boy. Damian caught it with ease and began to drink, green lingered on their shadows which both began to dissipate. 

 

“If they invited the Wayne family, how come Todd won’t be there? Don’t pull arguments which contrast themselves, Grayson.”

 

Still smiling, Dick merely shrugged his shoulders and turned to leave.

 

“Simple. Jay is an adult and we can’t keep him here. But you’re stuck with us until you’re legal.”

 

* * *

 

The dark gloomy cave was as inviting as always with its many bats hanging upside down from the ceiling like a nice chain of lights in a student’s apartment. Dick remembered the one time he had wanted to put some stickers and posters onto the walls but for whatever reason Bruce hadn’t seemed like a big fan of it. 

 

Speaking of big B, Dick found him standing in front of the batcomputer with his alter ego Batman. He seemed to discuss yet another case and the young man took his sweet time as he sauntered over to his father figures, guessing he should give them a moment to finish their ‘discussion’. 

 

“Hey, Bruce.”

 

His smile wasn’t returned but to be fair the acrobat would be creeped out if the man would suddenly start showing positive expressions. 

 

“I wanted to talk to you about yesterday evening. You know, Robin being outside even though it was a school night.”

 

Batman sent him a judging gaze but it had been years since Dick had felt anything remotely to intimidation from such a look. He could hold his own against their father and to represent this he straightened his back slightly, showing off the leadership he had gained throughout the years.

 

“I gave him permission to be outside. Nightwing was late but they patrolled together later on. Look, Bruce. I know you don’t trust Robin out there but you won’t gain your son’s respect and trust if you’re unwilling to give him a chance. I’ve been out there with him, Bruce. More often than you. Sure, Damian can be rough on the edges but he’s one of us. He’s a good guy. And what he needs is a hand to lead him, not to slap his away whenever he does something wrong. Damian deserves the benefit of the doubt like all of us did. You gave us a chance, Bruce. You trusted us enough to send us out there. And all I ask of you is that you stop isolating Damian from the rest of the family… He is your son. But he’s my brother.” 

 

Bruce looked at him with an unreadable expression but Dick held his ground, not backing away from what he had said. And he had meant every word. Damian was an arrogant brat but there was so much  _ good  _ behind these masks and Dick wanted to give the younger boy the chance to grow and change. 

 

When his father finally spoke up, it was with the hint of a warmth Dick hadn’t expected to find. 

 

“If you insist on Damian being allowed outside then I will assign him to you. Robin will accompany Nightwing whenever you find it suitable and I will leave Damian’s training to you. Of course I will keep an eye on you two but I can see that Damian feels easier around you.”

 

Bruce’s brow raised in a slight challenge but his eyes were soft.

 

“If you believe Damian will react differently to your treatment then do as you wish. Prove me wrong, Dick.”


	3. Chapter 3

“If I remember correctly you can end up in jail for child abuse, Grayson.”, Damian whispered as his big brother leaned down to correct his already perfect bow-tie. They were standing at a side of the huge ballroom, surrounded by both the rich and powerful people of several cities. Their father was currently giving some interviews and Richard had used the opportunity to pull Damian away. The boy knew that the young man could see that his patience began to run dry. 

 

“I know being in the spotlight isn’t your favourite thing but remember, we need to keep up the good name of our family. Smile, be the cute little son of Bruce and we’ll be able to leave sooner than you think.” 

 

Grayson smiled softly and reached out to lightly push the corner of Damian’s lips up. The clicking of a tongue indicated the disapproval but his brother merely laughed and ruffled his hair. 

 

“Don’t tell me the son of Wayne and the grandson of Al Ghul can only fake a personality for two hours.” 

 

It was a challenge, hell, Damian  _ knew  _ his brother tried to manipulate him but the pride he felt for his heritage was just too strong. With a small huff the boy held his head high and fixed one of his sleeves. 

 

“If I wanted to I could steal the spotlight at any time, circus boy. I bet at the end of the night I will have more reporters wrapped around my finger than you.”

 

Grayson merely smirked and took the offered hand. 

 

“It’s on, little bat.”

 

* * *

 

Catching himself before he could fall over, Robin gasped for air as he finished manifesting on the roof of a tall building. The last black particles formed the laces on his shoes and hidden blank eyes looked around to check his surrounding. As always it was night time but the boy immediately noticed the more modern and friendly looking skyscrapers standing tall in this city.

 

Metropolis. 

 

Right. 

 

His attention shifted towards his feet and he found himself standing on top of a glass ceiling. Many people in expensive looking suits and dresses were walking around beneath him and his eyes easily found the ones staring straight up at him. Robin couldn’t quite interpret the stare but he could feel the warning radiating from his creator. With a silent click of his tongue he left the boring gala behind and jumped off the building, waiting a second or two before shooting his grappling hook. The thoughts he heard from the original told him not to interfere at any point in time and simple study the new territory they would have to deal with for the next few days. 

 

He hated it when his creator gave him orders. 

 

Robin spent some time merely swinging from building to building, enjoying the wind messing with his hair and just the freedom he was allowed to feel whenever he was outside the cave. While Nightwing’s presence was more appreciated than Batman’s, Robin still enjoyed doing this his own way. There weren’t a lot of things he was allowed to control and so he was actually grateful for his original being so stubborn. It gave him permission to go out by himself and follow his own pace. 

 

Metropolis was… boring, to say the least. There weren’t a lot of dark alleys to hide in, no cars chasing or bankrupts he could follow. While Gotham was haunted by clouds, criminals and injustice, Metropolis was heaven on earth.

 

It sucked. 

 

Robin wanted to fight. Wanted to get rid of the energy he and his creator had to control. He couldn’t even let go when he was sparring, couldn’t dare hurting Nightwing or Damian too badly. It was frustrating.

 

A familiar annoyance bubbled up within his stomach and the vigilante felt an odd feeling in his cheek as he continued to swing around. It seemed like someone was pinching his creator’s face and a smug expression made its way onto his lips. It served Damian right for always bossing Robin around. 

 

Nightwing and Grayson were twins. Father and Bruce were partners. Even Red Robin was treated with respect by Drake. But Damian? He only ordered Robin around, expected him to be perfect at any given moment. It was ironic how his creator resembled Bruce so much when he couldn’t stand the teaching method at all. 

 

At times Robin found himself missing the old times. When it had been the Al Ghuls and not the Waynes. When Damian had seen him as an comrade and not a dog. 

 

The times when Damian had fallen asleep in Robin’s arms, exhausted from the pain and abuse he had to endure. 

 

His owner’s curious emotions finally pulled the vigilante back into reality and Robin was quick to bury his hidden thoughts once again. As long as he was far away, his creator couldn’t read him. Their connection was getting thinner the further he began to go and with a quiet click of his tongue Robin had to turn around and return. It had been 90 minutes since he had left Damian behind and they would reach their limit if he wouldn’t go back. 

 

Shooting his hook to a building, a sudden noise caught his attention. He swung towards it and soon found himself perched on a fire ladder in a smaller street, looking down at the scene unfolding. 

 

To say it was ridiculous was an understatement. A single boy dressed in some frog pajamas was currently taking on a group of six adult men and he was  _ winning.  _ While the lack of experience and technique was made up with the brute force used, Robin watched silently as one men after another fell to the ground. The knives in their hand and the jewelry laying on the ground told him enough to know that this was a group of criminals and so he didn’t interfere right away. The boy seemed to be able to hold his own fairly well and the vigilante had come to wonder who he was. 

 

After a few moments the street became silent as the last man fell unconsciously to the ground. Robin didn’t quite know what to do, whether to leave or call the police, but his thoughts were quickly interrupted as the boy turned and their eyes met. 

 

The vigilante froze as equally white and soulless eyes stared back up to him, partly hidden behind the mess of black hair. Though there was no mistaken - The boy was a shadow just like him. 

 

Silent seconds passed. And then a minute as Robin found himself not knowing what to do. He had never met any shadows outside their family. Should he try to communicate? Or be wary? 

 

However, an uncomfortable knot in his stomach forced him to avert his gaze to stare into the direction of his creator. Damian wanted him back. Now. 

 

Reluctantly, Robin reached for his grappling hook and pulled himself onto the next roof, felt the blank eyes watching his every movement before he vanished into the night. It was bugging him and the vigilante could only wonder what the original would do about it. 

 

Probably something stupid. 

 

* * *

 

Damian was currently washing his face in one of the bathrooms as a window creaked open. While his bet with Grayson had gone surprisingly well, he had soon come to regret challenging his older brother. It was Richard who bloomed in publicity while the younger boy wanted to be simply left alone. There were only so many pinched cheeks he could endure before eventually slapping the hands away. For now he had excused himself and played some app on his phone to calm down and get his act back on. 

 

Green eyes were focused on drying his hands and the next time the boy looked into the mirror, he saw his doppelgänger standing behind him. Judging by the uniform and his own health Robin hadn’t been in a fight. 

 

At least he listened this time. 

 

Ignoring the scowl on his shadow’s face, Damian watched as the other began to dissipate. It was always a weird feeling, fusing back together, and the added experiences and memories always took him aback. The teenager held onto the sink for support as images flashed in front of his inner eye and brows were furrowed when he saw blank eyes staring back at him in an alley. 

 

“What the hell?”

 

His father hadn’t mentioned that Metropolis had its own shadow users but then again who in his right mind would let their copy run around in PJs. Whoever that was didn’t know how to disguise their doppelgänger and judging by the young appearance that someone must have been a teen like him. 

 

A small smirk began to form onto Damian’s lips as he looked up to see himself. Curiosity had finally sparked within him and the vigilante wanted to know who that boy was. If he could prove that there were unregistered shadow users out there, his family would  _ have  _ to accept his capability in this business. 

 

A quiet knock on the door finally pulled him out of his planning and a second later Grayson’s head poked into the room. Hair and tie slightly messy, his older brother sent him an amused smile and fully opened the door. 

 

“Here you are, baby bat. Bruce asked me to get you. He and Tim are getting ready to leave and even though I know how much you love it here, I thought I would pick you up.”

 

Damian barely noticed the sigh he released and in his relief he even allowed Grayson to wrap an arm around his shoulder to lead him straight to the exit. Goodbyes were said, smiles were exchanged and some quick photos were taken before the teenager  _ finally  _ found himself in the safety of a car. Drake and Father were both sitting across from him but for now Damian was too tired to make a snarky comment about the evening. That would have to wait until the morning. For now he simply yawned and didn’t resist as Richard pulled him against his side to lean on. 

 

He didn’t know when he had fallen asleep but Damian could remember being woken up enough to change into more comfortable clothes. Someone was carrying him into a room in the hotel and made sure he was tugged in bed before running a hand through his hair. 

 

“Good night, Damian.”

 

Simply humming, the boy turned onto his side and quickly fell back into sleep. He could start planning tomorrow, for now he needed to rest. 

 

Being the spoiled son of a billionaire could be quite exhausting at times. 


	4. Chapter 4

“Again!”

 

With a cry Damian went in for another attack, aiming at his brother’s face. And as always Grayson easily sidestepped, using the momentum to get behind him. Every muscle in the boy wanted a break but he spun on his heels, lifting his leg for a kick.

 

“Good.”

 

His brother deflected his attack and attempted to grab his leg but Damian was fast enough to pull back. Sweat was running down his forehead and he came to hate the carefree smile that never left the other’s lips.

 

“Better.”

 

Growling, Damian feinted a blow with his left fist as he tried to get close enough to kick Grayson off his feet. The man was still laughing, not even once losing his balance no matter what the boy was trying.

 

“Stop being so tense, Dami.”

 

His brother caught the fist before it could connect with his face and Damian’s eyes grew wide as he recognized the mistake he had made. But Grayson was unforgiving as he used it for his advantage and the boy yelped as he was thrown over the other’s shoulder. All air left his lungs as his back crashed onto the mat and Richard stood above him, ready to finish him off.

 

“Getting angry makes you careless. You’re an excellent fighter, Damian, but you need to control your emotions. Don’t let yourself get irritated by your enemy. Remember, I’m not even trying to hurt you and I got the upperhand.”

 

The teenager took reluctantly the offered hand and clicked his tongue in annoyance.

 

“No criminal talks as much as you do while fighting.”

 

Grayson simply laughed and picked up a towel for himself and Damian.

 

“That’s just who I am. Talking on the battlefield helps me clear my mind and stay calm. 10 minutes break and then we will continue.”

 

Catching the towel, Damian wiped away the sweat and clicked his tongue at the embarrassment of once again being defeated by his brother. Grayson didn’t look like it but his fighting was almost scary. The way he simply changed from one style to another without blinking an eye was unpredictable and Damian could only wonder how much training his brother had been through to have such a wide knowledge of martial arts. The fact that he was born an acrobat only made it more difficult to win.

 

It had been a week now since the Waynes had visited the gala and Damian began to grow impatient. Sure, he had been happy upon hearing that Grayson wanted to train him from now on and even though it was an easier and more comfortable working atmosphere, the boy wished for a bit more neglection. There was no way he could sneak out and reach Metropolis without his brother or Nightwing noticing. At least one of them was always close for some ‘family time’ and the young vigilante hadn’t thought of a solution yet.

 

Damian sat down on the mat and began to drink from his water bottle as his thoughts once again drifted off towards the figure Robin had seen that evening. A shadow wearing PJs, obviously not under the control of an owner. If anything, the human it belonged to hadn’t seemed to know about it in the first place or they wouldn’t have sent it out without some kind of mask or costume. It should be easy to find the user if Damian could only get a better look on the shadow.

 

With a sigh he laid down onto his back and stared up at the white ceiling. A plan was needed. How could he get back to Metropolis without drawing attention from his family? His father didn’t even trust him to be outside the manor alone, yet alone be okay with Damian visiting another city. He had to think of something.

 

* * *

 

“Master Damian, I would appreciate it if you were to keep the playing to the living-room.” Alfred said as the boy shoved the vegetables around on his plate. He was resting his chin on a hand, eyes fixated on the fork.

 

It were evenings like these that Damian hated. His father was out with his shadow, Richard was in Blüdhaven and it was only Alfred and him at the dinner table. The room was too big for two people and it reminded Damian of what he had found and had yet to obtain.

 

“I’m sorry, Pennyworth.”

 

With hesitation Damian continued eating, the sounds of the forks the only ones that cut through the silence. He wasn’t sure how long it took him to finish his vegetables but a relieved sigh escaped him when his father’s butler began to carry the empty plates back into the kitchen. Excusing himself with a heavy feeling in his chest, Damian exited the room and took two steps at a time to get back into his room.

 

The door wasn’t fully closed as his shadow already formed itself and Damian walked past it towards the window, pushing it open.

 

“You know the plan.”

 

Robin was glaring at him but nodded nonetheless. It felt absurd, seeing his doppelgänger wearing his pyjama, almost a splitting image if it wasn’t for the empty white eyes.

 

“Just read a book or sit at the computer or whatever. But the second Pennyworth comes to check up on you, you lay in bed and act like you’re sleeping. Understood?”

 

Once again the vigilante nodded with a scowl on his face, pushing past Damian to turn the computer on. In the last few weeks the two of them had worked on expanding their limitation in both distance and time. While they still weren’t on the level as someone like Richard and Nightwing, they surely made some progress.

 

The bag in the corner was picked up and Damian climbed out the window, glancing one more time at Robin before jumping onto the tree in front of of his room. He had wandered around plenty of times to know his father’s security plans and as long as nothing new had been added, the boy could sneak out without triggering any alarm.

 

It was a thrilling experience to avoid all his father’s traps and finally landing behind the wall that had kept him prisoner for far too long. A small and freeing laugh escaped the boy and he readjusted the bag as he ran away from his home and into the City only his shadow had been allowed to explore fully.

 

The smell of trash, smoke, and rottenness filled his nostrils and Damian took a deep breath of this smelly air so different from the one at their manor. Both his father and Grayson should have known better than to keep a bird in its cage for too long. It was time for him to spread his wings, whether someone was watching over him or not. Besides, the teenager was a living weapon, nothing in this city could hurt him.

 

With confidence and pride swelling in his chest he sauntered through the place that would be his to defend one day, head held high as some passersby whispered his last name to each other. He was a Wayne, his trained smile could be found on pages of newspapers with a headline regarding the gala they had visited not too long ago. Most of the people here knew him and Damian felt a spark of familiarity as others looked at him with awe. He hadn’t felt like this since…

 

… he had shown off his skills by beheading one of his teachers on his grandfather’s demand.

 

Right.

 

* * *

 

Releasing a quiet sigh, Robin was fairly bored in his new cage. Sure, it was rare that his maker allowed him such limited freedom but how could he truly enjoy it when he was not permitted to leave his room? He had already done several push-ups and other techniques to get rid of some of the built up energy in his body. If your only purpose to this day was fighting then being stuck in a single room was not your preferred location. The shadow walked up and down, white eyes looking for anything to do. His pacing finally stopped when his attention turned to a small case in a far corner next to the neatly sorted bookshelf. Robin licked his lips and with little hesitation he went to gather it. Upon opening, the shadow felt his emotions jumping.

 

A violin.

 

Gentle fingers traced the bow and instrument, eyes softening at the memories of Damian playing to him when they used to be younger. As careful as he could, Robin picked the violin up and played a single note, his chest blooming with familiar warmth. White fell close and another sound echoed through the empty room. And then another.

 

And then a melody.

 

* * *

 

Damian wasn’t quite sure for how long he had wandered around before these men had tried to catch him off guard. Really, creeping up on a teenager was bad enough but to top it all off this group was messier than Drake’s hair in the afternoon. They tried to grab the boy without any plan whatsoever and the pieces of words Damian could understood talked about him being a Wayne and how much money they could get through him. Normally such a plan would work probably, however it was just their bad luck to encounter the one rich son that could kick their ass without any effort whatsoever. Most of the criminals didn’t even manage to lay a single hand on him before they were knocked out, and the ones who dared to tear at his expensive clothes suffered for it with a punch to the face.

 

It was simple self-defense, Damian thought to himself with a satisfied smirk. Such low levels couldn’t even dream of winning a fight against him and the boy was disappointed that this little exercise was over way too soon.

 

When an already beaten up criminal tried to sneak up on him from behind, Damian easily countered the attack, however green widened in surprise when more men than expected were back on their feet. He dodged one attack after another but as soon as a piece of cloth was suddenly held against his mouth and nose, his vision became unfocused. Muscles slowly went limp and for the first time in months he actually felt scared.

 

_Robin._

 

Heavy eyes fell shut and Damian felt his body hitting the ground before he finally passed out.


	5. Chapter 5

Resting his chin on a hand, Tim blew a strand of hair out of his face as he watched the download unfold way too slowly. He was sitting in front of the too huge batcomputer in the cave and tapped his fingers impatiently as eyes moved over the different newspapers. Criminals that had broken out of Arkham Asylum, new gangs in town, drug dealers throwing parties. 

 

Ah yes, the good old Gotham. 

 

The teenager reached for his mug and took a small sip before grimacing. Okay, Tim  _ really  _ wasn’t a fan of cold coffee. A quick glance to the clock told him it was already 11pm and with a sigh he stood up and stretched his arms. 

 

The files would take a while to download so he might as well go and brew some new coffee.

 

Reaching for his mug and phone, Tim checked for any new messages as he slowly walked towards the stairs that would lead him upstairs. He was lost in thoughts as the door to the living-room suddenly opened and the teenager couldn’t help but jump at the unexpected action. The hair on his neck stood up while his muscles screamed at him to get ready for an attack. As adrenaline was pumped through his veins, Tim’s eyes focused on the sudden appearance of his younger sibling and he released his held breath. 

 

“Damn it, Damian, how often did we tell you to stop sneaking up on people? Just open the door like, I don’t know, normal people do?” 

 

Though while he spoke those words, Tim immediately noticed that something was off when wide blank eyes stared at him with a fear he hadn’t seen before. 

 

“Robin?” the older boy asked unsurely as a cold shiver ran down his spine. 

 

“Why are you wearing Damian’s clothes? If this is some sort of trick then you can tell your creator that he has no humor whatsoever.”

 

But the shadow wasn’t even listening, instead it started to sign with impatience and trembling hands. If Tim hadn’t known sign language that well he probably would have troubles following the rambling of the younger boy.

 

The Waynes had found out about the shadows’ disability to talk quite fast and had taken it upon themselves to learn sign language as best as they could. While each owner could communicate with their own creation easily, the others needed a way to talk that wouldn’t include slow writing. 

 

Blue eyes followed the shaking rambling of Robin and the second he understood the reason for the worry, he dropped the mug and jumped the stairs back down. Black mist was emitting from his body and Tim reached his locker in records time. 

 

_ If what Robin says is true… then that stupid idiot got himself kidnapped! It serves him right for sneaking out without informing us, just what was he thinking? If something happened to that dumbass… _

 

A heavy feeling began to spread through the teenager’s body and he barely noticed how he changed out of his hoodie and pants into completely black clothes with a red domino mask identical to Red Robin’s. He watched with worry as Robin stumbled after him, his own shadow acting as a crutch. 

 

Whatever they had drugged Damian with was also affecting Robin in some way. 

 

“Robin, you should stay here. Red and I will take over now.”

 

But the young doppelgänger violently shook his head and pushed Red Robin away. Its brows were furrowed in determination and even though it didn’t have those piercing green eyes Tim could see the stubbornness in this white. 

 

Gosh, just why were those Wayne genes just so hardheaded?

 

“The way you two always fought made me think you weren’t loyal to Damian. But fine, you can accompany us.” 

 

Tim raised his finger when Robin already brightened up. 

 

“ _ But _ you will listen to Red and me. We cannot worry about you while looking for Damian. If your body is too weak for a fight then stay back, got it? We can’t risk the little gremlin getting hurt more than necessary.” 

 

And as if cruel destiny wanted to prove the teenager’s point, the three had to watch with horror as a clean cut appeared on Robin’s cheek. 

 

They needed to hurry. 

 

* * *

 

It had been a while since Tim himself had been out on patrol. While Bruce and Dick often times accompanied their counterparts outside, the younger one preferred staying back home and monitoring things. After all Red was as experienced as him out there and one Tim Drake in the fight was enough.

 

But now as the vigilante swung from building to building with his partner by the side, Tim couldn’t help but admit that the wind in his hair had been a sensation he had missed. It had always been oddly comforting to be able to move so freely and knowing that any minute something could happen. No matter what, the citizen of Gotham needed them. And while it was a huge burden to carry it was also what kept them going. 

 

Robin was a few meters in front of them. Partly to show the way and partly to make sure that if he were to collapse one of them could act in time. It might have been dark but the added wounds didn’t go unnoticed to either of the Tims. The fact that Robin wasn’t even flinching at the newly inflicted pain had always been something that had crept the teenager out. Whatever training Damian had had to endure in his childhood must have led to him developing a higher resistance to pain. 

 

A child like Damian should be crying over a scraped knee, not pull a knife out of his stomach and move on. 

 

Being pulled out of his thoughts through an urgent emotion from Red, the teen returned his attention to the situation and noticed that Robin had stopped on the roof of an old company that had gone bankrupt. He landed besides the other two and looked at the small warehouse Robin was pointing at. By now the younger shadow was silently panting and Tim got a better view on the wounds. A blue eye, split lips, several cuts. Whoever was holding Damian captive sure didn’t know how to handle a hostage. 

 

“Robin, are you sure you are well enough to go in with us? You don’t need to prove anything to us or Damian, retreating now is no sign of weakness.” 

 

But the shadow simply signed that he would not backoff. 

 

“Have it your way then. Red, you will cause a distraction and take care of as many men as you can. Robin will stay with me so I can find Damian. Once we got him we will get out immediately and send the police a message. I hope it’s unnecessary to say that we are only going to knock those people out, Robin. No fatal wounds.” 

 

It was almost annoying  how well Robin represented Damian’s rolled eyes and silent clicked tongue. 

 

“On my mark…”

 

They all got ready, tightening their holds on their weapons and activating their night vision. 

 

“One….”

 

Tim took a deep breath and looked at Robin for any new wounds. 

 

“Two…”

 

He felt Red Robin’s tension but also determination to save their youngest brother. 

 

“Three…”

 

Damian and Tim might not get along but dare to mess with a family member and you will regret it. 

 

“Go!”

 

The three fighters jumped off the roof and crashed through the windows into the warehouse, yells the last thing they heard before a smoke grenade exploded. 

 

From then on, everything went on fast. Red Robin attacked with precise punches, taking out the first few criminals without them even knowing what was happening. Robin managed to disarm the closest man before Tim knocked him out with an aimed fist. His heart was racing and the adrenaline of a fight allowed him to act faster than usually. He saw the heat signals through the smoke and once it was gone, the three vigilantes were surrounded by eight unconscious bodies. 

 

“Red, tie them up and send the police a signal. Robin and I will get Damian.”

 

Once they were separated, Tim helped a trembling shadow up the stairs towards the 2nd floor. The shouting from their fight before must have alerted the remaining criminals and the two teenagers were hiding behind a wall. A small peak revealed two armed men in front of a door and judging by Robin’s anger Damian was most likely in the next room. 

 

Holding a finger in front of his lips, Tim met the other’s blank eyes and pointed towards the bataarangs hanging from their belts. They both reached for one and moved in union, throwing the weapons in a smooth motion at the men’s hand. With a cry of pain the guns fell from their hands and a few seconds later their bodies joined them on the ground. 

 

The exhaustion from the battle, pain and the time out was written all over Robin’s face and Tim could feel his brother instincts kicking in. 

 

“Hey, it’s okay. We will get him out of here, treat his wounds, and once he’s better he will have to listen to Bruce’s and Dick’s lectures. You know how tough he is, a small hostage situation won’t face him.”

 

He squeezed Robin’s shoulder in reassurance before kicking the door open. For a single moment time seemed to stand still as Tim took in the scene beforehand. Damian was tied to a chair, head hanging low and clothes dirty. Dried blood had stained his shirt and judging by the bruises on the wrists the boy had tried to free himself. 

 

“Oh Damian…” the older brother whispered before hurrying over. 

 

“Are you conscious? Can you hear me?” 

 

Taking Damian’s face into his hand, Tim carefully lifted it and looked for any wounds. There was the black eye and cut that Robin had already displayed and judging by the disoriented gaze his brother was still influenced by the drug. 

 

“Drake…?”

 

Oh god, he sounded so  _ so  _ weak and Tim’s heart broke a little. No matter how annoying and mean Damian could be, he was still only a child and whoever dared to lay a single finger on a kid deserved to be locked away forever. 

 

“I’m here, it’s me. It’s Tim.”

 

He forced his attention away from his little brother to see Robin already undoing the ropes at the boy’s feet. Deciding to join, the vigilante cut through the rest ones and massaged Damian’s wrists for a moment so the blood could circulate normally again. 

 

“Come on, I got you, twerp.” 

 

A weak arm was wrapped around Tim’s neck and he supported his brother as best as he could as the two shadows walked in front. Robin was barely on his feet anymore and the wounds must have been tougher than he had shown. 

 

Stupid Waynes and their stubbornness. 

 

“Robin, Red and I can take over from here on out. Damian is safe with us, I promise. You really need to rest for now…. Good job out there.” 

 

The determined pout on the younger shadow’s face was almost endearing but the exhaustion was painted all over Robin’s face. With a small nod the doppelgänger dissolved into black mist and returned to Damian’s body, a small shiver running through his body. 

 

“Let’s go home, Damian.”


	6. Chapter 6

“If you have the strength to complain then you can also sit still, idiot. Don’t make this harder for both of us.”

 

Looking away from his brother, Damian clicked his tongue but stopped struggling. The wounds were barely worth mentioning but that stupid Drake had insisted on treating them anyway. To say it was an awkward moment was an understatement and it came to the boy’s attention that they had never been alone in the cave for that long without a fight. Sure, they threw insults at each other’s heads but it seemed to resemble more the typical family bickering than anything else. Maybe it was because of the aftereffects of the drugs or because Drake was too exhausted to put up a fight.

 

It was a not unwelcomed change.

 

Most thoughts and actions were still sluggish and Damian had to resist the urge to rest his head against the teenager’s shoulders. Sure, he was weakened in his current state but no way in hell would the ex assassin show more weaknesses than necessary. Yet another babysitter who would pity him was undesired and the boy could take care of himself.

 

A bandage was wrapped around his head and arms, ice pressed against his pulsating eye and a huge band-aid decorated his cheek. Damian gave his brother one more hour before he would end up looking like a mummy.

 

“I told you I don’t need your help. Once the drug would have worn off I could have handled them myself. It’s not my fault they didn’t know how to stay put after I won the fight.”

 

He wasn’t pouting and if Drake dared to say otherwise he would end him right here.

 

“Sure, kiddo. Anyway, what were you doing out there all by yourself? I thought Dick had already put you on a long leash so why would you go against his rules?”

 

Damian looked down at his bandaged arms and simply shrugged his shoulders. Drake truly was the last person he wanted to talk to about his intentions but there was no denying that the other had saved him. Returning wanted information was the least the boy could do to make it somehow even.

 

“While I appreciate Grayson’s efforts to make me feel more at home, he still treats me like a fragile child. I am far too intelligent and skilled to be locked away when there’s no babysitter available. In the league I was a soldier the second I was born but here everyone treats me like I could break any minute or go on a rampage… I’m not a kid that needs protection and neither am I an insane criminal that needs to be locked up.”

 

Drake remained quiet and Damian took a trembling breath before continuing, his hand clenched in a fist and fingernails cutting into skin.

 

“It’s unfair. Grayson, Todd, and you… you were all taken in by Father because he wanted you. But he is stuck with me. And all he does is keeping me a prisoner in this so called home. I wanna be out there, fight my Father’s war, fight alongside him and prove myself worthy. I’m not even allowed to leave the manor without somebody watching me.”

 

A hand began to rest on his shoulder but Damian tried to shake it off, clicked his tongue in annoyance when it didn’t leave. Instead if squeezed him carefully before gently pushing him to turn around. Once the boy looked up he expected pity in blue eyes but what he found was… compassion?

 

“When you were first brought here, it was obvious how I felt about you. All of a sudden Bruce had a biological son who replaced me and everyone made up excuses for your behavior. People expected me to be the mature one and even Dick began to give you all the attention while I was left behind. I thought it was unfair. Dick, Bruce, this job… it was everything to me after my parents had died… But I can see why Dick is trying so hard to be there for you. You had a messed up childhood and you deserve as much of a normal life as everyone else. Dick and Bruce… they both love you. And that’s exactly why they don’t want you out there. Being in this family alone already means that you will risk your life every night. But that doesn’t mean that you have to do it right away. Bruce forcing you to go to school, Dick taking you to the arcade, and even Jason taking you out for a burger once in a while. They want to give you as much of a normal life as possible. So don’t hold their protectiveness against them, Damian. They do care. And so do I.”

 

Green eyes widened slightly and the boy watched as Tim moved to unclench his hand.

 

“I won’t babysit you because I know you can take care of yourself. I don’t think I will be able to be a big brother like Dick but what I can offer is an open ear. I am not your enemy, Damian. Whether you want it or not - we are brothers and I will always be there if you need help. I think what you need aren’t two overprotective father figures but a friend. So if you ever look for somebody to talk to or hang out with or… I don’t know… spar with, I guess… you know where to find me. Just don’t isolate yourself from the people who wish to help you. Accepting help isn’t a weakness.”

 

Biting his lip, Damian had to avert his gaze to hide the many thoughts and emotions that went through him that moment. Stupid Drake always knew how to make him speechless one way or another. The boy finally nodded hesitantly and once again met blue with an openness they had never held before.

 

“When we were in Metropolis, I actually sent Robin out to just… observe the city while I was stuck on that stupid gala. And while he was out, he actually spotted another shadow. That doppengänger was wearing pajamas so I guessed that the owner probably wasn’t aware of it…”

 

Damian held his hand up before Drake could interrupt him.

 

“My plan is it to find out who that owner is and prove Father that I am capable of field work. I need to show him that I can work on cases myself without anyone getting hurt. And maybe if I can demonstrate my skills they will finally stop babying me.”

 

A small smile lingered on Drake’s lips as the older teenager reached up to ran a hand through his hair.

 

“You wanna be a part of the team that badly?”

 

The boy remained quiet but nodded almost shyly.

 

“You know what, dwarf, I will help you. This seems to be really important to you and if what you say is true then we should clearly check up on that user. After all we can’t let the media find out about us, can we?”

 

_Wait… what?_

 

“But” Drake began “I need us two to work together. No solo missions, no secrets, and most importantly - no word to Bruce or Dick. If they find out that I allowed you to work on such an important case without their knowledge then you won’t be alone anymore when it comes to house arrest. So what do you say… Partners?”

 

Damian stared at the other’s outstretched hand and thought for a few long seconds before taking and shaking it.

 

“Deal, Drake. But only because I need somebody to drive me to Metropolis. I will leave our alibi to you and I expect a good cooperation.”

 

“Of course, bat brat.”

 

They exchanged a single smile before quickly letting go once again. The boy checked his body for any unattended wounds before reaching for the first aid kit.

 

“I trust you to delete this whole conversation from the tapes, Red. I got more important things to do now.”

 

He didn’t wait for an answer and hopped down the table as black mist emitted from his body. A still wounded and beaten up Robin appeared behind Damian and wordlessly he pointed at a chair. The doppelgänger was hesitant in his movements and emotionless green watched closely as his shadow finally sat down. Fear, frustration and uncertainty was radiating through Robin and the user kneeled down.

 

“Give me your arm.”

 

Surprisingly Robin obeyed without any resistance and Damian wondered what his other self was expecting. He kept his hold on the limb gentle and began to treat the wounds to the surprise of the doppelgänger.

 

“It was reckless of you to accompany Drake to that warehouse. You could have gotten us both even more hurt.”

 

Damian could feel the slight burn of the disinfection but chose to ignore it.

 

“But I am in no position to complain. I would have done the same and it was my fault to begin with…”

 

He studied the cut on Robin’s cheek and looked for a fitting bandaid.

 

“What I’m trying to say is… Thank you, Robin. For getting help and for coming.”

 

Blank eyes widened but Damian continued his work.

 

“And I’m sorry for hurting you. These wounds were unnecessary and you should not have to deal with my failures.”

 

His shadow placed two hands onto his face and Damian kept quiet as the other pushed their foreheads together. It was a familiar gesture, something they had done while they still lived with the league.

 

“Come on, let’s get your wounds treated so we can go back to our room before Father shows up. An angry Batman is the least thing we need right now.”

 

He could feel Drake’s eyes on his back but for now he ignored it in favor of taking care of his shadow. Whatever would come next they would face together but for now Damian guessed that Robin and he should rest for a few days.


	7. Chapter 7

“You are a horrible driver, Drake.” 

 

“And you are a horrible car passenger, baby brat. Besides, just because I’m keeping to the speed limits doesn’t mean I’m bad at driving. We’re the representatives of Wayne Enterprise right now, not some vigilantes in speedos.”

 

Crossing his arms, Damian simply huffed and continued to look out of the window. It was early noon and the two brothers had left to Metropolis with the excuse of checking the local branch for several inconsistencies that Drake had ‘noticed’ a day before. Damian would never say it outloud but the way the older teenager had managed to hack into a system created by Father without anyone noticing had been fairly impressive. Not even the famous Batman himself had any idea that this whole scene was posed. 

 

If Drake were to ever switch sides they sure would be screwed. 

 

Not like he would ever have the heart to betray them. 

 

“I still can’t believe that Father didn’t see through your lie. I mean, really, Drake? ‘Oh, hey Bruce, seeing as how Dick trains Damian for the night life what if I take him out and show what else you do in your spare time? He should be educated in both lives, don’t you agree?” 

 

“Stop imitating my voice, Damian. I will admit you are scaringly good at that. And stop complaining, I had a good point and I’m actually sure that Bruce hadn’t considered it yet. He probably wants you to finish the multiplications table first before letting you at the big numbers.”

 

Damian weakly pushed Drake’s shoulder though the other simply chuckled. It was weird, hanging out together. And in a twisted way it almost felt like a normal activity. Just two brothers on a trip, bickering around. This was the kind of life he had read about and even though the boy was used to be out with Grayson, it felt different with Drake. Maybe it was because their ages were closer or because the late teenager didn’t see him as someone fragile. Anyways, it was a nice change of atmosphere. 

 

“So what’s the plan for today, Drake? We are just going to look through every alley? Or ask people if they have seen a boy in his pjs without eyes?” 

 

He knew his voice was dripping with sarcasm but just because the two brothers had decided on a truce didn’t mean they were the best of friends yet. 

 

“First of all we will actually go to Wayne Enterprise. Bruce will notice if we don’t spend a certain amount of time there.” Drake lifted his finger before Damian could interrupt. “ _ And  _ while I go and do the boring business stuff  _ you  _ will take a look at the data of all families who are somehow connected to WE. Whether they are workers, sponsors, journalists, and whatnot. See which family has a son roughly in the age of the boy you saw. If there are pictures of them see if you can spot him. Print out the ones that you suspect and then we will send our doppelgängers out once it’s dark.”

 

“It sounds like a sufficient idea for now. I guess you were not lying when you said you would think of something… I will follow your plan, Drake. But if it fails I will take the lead.”

 

“Whatever you say, Damian. Hey, how about we get something to eat in a nice café before moving on to our mission impossible? I for one could use another coffee before I have to listen to the bureaucracy complains.”

 

He studied his brother before shrugging his shoulders, green eyes moving back to the window. 

 

“Fine. A hot chocolate for me then. And you pay.”

 

* * *

 

“I will never understand how Grayson could have that easily thrown his dignity away. It’s a disgrace and he has the nerve to talk about it with a smile.”

 

“I know, right? And even Jason took over the image of the scalie panties once Dick moved on. I still remember one of the nights I saw Batman and Robin outside in those old costumes. I mean, sure, I looked up to them. But their fashion sense? Not that much. When I became Robin for Bruce’s sake the first thing I did was redesign the outfit so Red wouldn’t be out there in those panties.”

 

“Congratulations, Drake, you were the first Robin with a self-preservation instinct. But let’s not forget that I mastered being Robin.” 

 

Taking another bite off his muffin, Damian watched as his brother simply rolled with the eyes. They were sitting inside a nice and quiet café in Metropolis, cake and other sweets on their plates accompanied by some hot drinks. Sunshine was shining through the open windows and different plants inside created a pleasant scent. 

 

“When it comes to being Robin then you are still in your diapers. We can continue this conversation when you managed to wear the mantle for longer than a year. But you’re not doing such a horrible job when you’re out with Dick. He sure is a nice influence.” 

 

Damian glared at the other but didn’t make any move to be hostile. 

 

“Maybe I was a bit rambunctious back then.”

 

Before Drake could shoot a reply back, the door to the café opened and revealed two figures stepping in. Damian didn’t pay them any attention but he noticed with curiosity that his brother had decided not to go for a counter insult. Instead the older teenager’s eyes was lingering on the older of those two and if the boy was reading the body language correctly then he would say that Drake was actually interested in that one. 

 

The person in question had raven black hair, had a rather built body and wore simple blue jeans and a black shirt. A smile was lingering on his lips as he talked to a younger person whose cap hid most of black hair. Raising a brow, Damian looked back over towards Drake and smirked. 

 

“Not. A. Word. Gremlin.” his brother hissed. 

 

With amusement in his eyes the ex assassin reached over and lightly took a hold of his brother’s wrist. He felt a slightly raised blood pressure.  _ Interesting.  _ Drake pulled his hand back immediately but it had been too late. Damian had new leverage. 

 

They both waited until those two teenagers left the café before daring to speak up again. Seeing the all mighty brain of the family so flustered was a view the boy had to savour. 

 

“So… who is he? If somebody is capable of getting into your head that easily than that person must be either special or you are way more simple than I thought.” 

 

The other sighed heavily and looked down at the cup of coffee in his hands. 

 

“Really now, Damian? Are you going to be  _ that  _ brother? I expected it of Jason. But you?”   
  
“Humor me, Drake. We are stuck together for the whole day so the least I could get is a bit of entertainment.” 

 

He was greeted by a glare followed by a sigh.

 

“If your little assassin heart is capable of loving then I will get back to you one day. Anyway, his name is Conner Kent. I met him some time ago because his class made a trip to one of our facilities. I was the FAQ person for them and he asked for some more time with me for a school article. His parents are both journalists so I guess it’s a family business.” 

 

Drake shrugged his shoulders and emptied his cup. 

 

“How do you know about his family? Did you check his background?” Damian asked with slight interest now. 

 

“No, Damian, I asked about his family like a normal person. You know, holding a casual conversation without attaching a tracker to him or whatnot.”

 

“Sounds boring.”

 

With a small huff Drake pulled out his wallet and placed more than enough money onto the table. 

 

“As boring as your hobbies. Come on, let’s go. We still got some work to do until the sun gets down. Oh yea, and Damian… try and be nice. The more cooperative we are the faster we get out again.”

 

“Please, Drake. It’s me you are talking to.”

 

“I  _ know. _ ”

 

* * *

 

Sitting on his bed in their hotel room, Damian spread out the copies of the family documents that had matched the boy in his memory. It was late evening and Drake was currently taking a shower in the bathroom. He silently sighed to himself when black mist parted from his body and formed Robin. 

 

“Good, you can help me look through all these. It’s sad that we don’t have the eye color and the fact it was a dark alley doesn’t help. But for now we two will sort these out into likely and unlikely.”

 

The doppelgänger nodded silently and sat across Damian to reach out for a few files. The two worked in silence for another minute or two before the boy felt a foreign worry. He clicked his tongue. 

 

“I’m fine. We got bigger cases to focus on, most of the wounds are simple bruises by now… But… I appreciate your concern. I know I scared you back then.”

 

Damian began to fidget around with his fingers, biting his lip as he didn’t quite know what to say or do. It had been a long time since the two of them had just sat down to talk and spend time together. Nowadays Robin was only summoned to do work or fight, and somehow it felt unfair to treat the other like a simple weapon. They had been closer once. 

 

Until Robin had disobeyed him for the first time. 

 

“How’s it going? Oh, hey Robin. How do you feel?” 

 

Being pulled out of his thoughts, green looked up to spot Drake wearing Batman underwear and a towel around his neck. Black hair was still dripping wet and Damian rolled his eyes before returning his attention to his job. His shadow however replied through sign language and told Timothy that he was feeling better since their last encounter.

 

“That’s good to hear. Did you two find anything yet? It’s dark enough to send Robin and Red out to explore the alleys. Metropolis isn’t that haunted by criminals so these two should normally be able to avoid police and curious eyes.”

 

“There are a few families that I would like to check.” 

 

With a smirk he held up a file that read ‘Kent’.

 

“Who knows, maybe your lover boy is the one we are looking for? Conner Kent, baseball captain, member of the school’s news club, horrible at math. Has a younger brother who goes to the same high school.” 

 

Drake was over at his bed in a mere second and pulled the file out of his hands, mimic not amused at all. 

 

“Aren’t you a funny one, gremlin? You should leave jokes to the ones who actually know how to make them.”

 

Leaning back on his hands, Damian simply nodded over towards a small pile of papers. 

 

“Fine. I guess we can check these first. Get Red Robin ready and then they are good to go. Let’s see if our first evening will bring some results.”

 

And as their doppelgängers left through the windows just minutes later, Damian hoped that he was the chance to prove himself finally closer. 


	8. Chapter 8

Swinging from one building to another, Robin looked over towards Nightwing. It had been two days since they had returned from Metropolis and their first search had gotten them nowhere. For now he was back in Gotham and patrolling with his personal babysitter while Damian and Drake continued their research in secret. 

 

Robin liked Nightwing. Red Robin always had a certain aura that somehow put him off. It was probably thanks to their creators but his fingers always itched to somehow start a finger. Whether it was signing an insult, acting as if he didn’t see the signed order, or him going another way. But with Nightwing he felt content. Grayson may think of Damian as his little brother but out here Nightwing and Robin were partners. Equals. And together they were dancing to music only they could hear. It was a learned performance by now and having somebody to watch over your back was a freeing emotion Robin hadn’t dared to feel before their time in Gotham. 

 

A sudden tone in his comm link told him to land on the next roof and Nightwing appeared right next to them. While the shadows couldn’t talk with each other, they used different sounds on patrol to communicate with each other. Once they were resting for a few minutes, Nightwing signed to Robin that it was a quiet night and that they could return to the manor. Maybe Batman would have some jobs for them to do back at the cave but for now there was no need to patrol. 

 

Sighing quietly, Robin replied that he would take the long way back home. He didn’t want to return just yet and after his hair was annoyingly ruffled, Nightwing jumped off the building like a mad man. A small smile lingered on the shadow’s lips and Robin imagined the amused laughter the other would probably release. 

 

Now all by himself, the doppelgänger sat down on the edge of the roof and let his legs swing. It was rare for him to be alone in this big city and whenever he looked down it felt like all their worries were far away. The league, their father’s mistrust, that new shadow… a lifetime ago. 

 

The male yell pulled him out of his thoughts and with a small smile Robin stood up and jumped off the building. It was a good feeling, knowing that somebody needed him and the shadow swung over towards his last job for the night. 

 

A teenager stood protectively in front of a young girl, the two of them facing a man with a knife. The criminal held his stomach and judging by the way he was bent over, Robin could guess that the other boy had kicked him where it hurt. 

 

“That was your first and last mistake, you little shit!” 

 

That was his sign to intervene. In a swift motion Robin jumped into the man’s way and dodged a surprised fist before easily throwing him over his shoulder. Once the criminal was resting with the dirt Robin placed his boot on the other’s throat. 

 

“ _ You okay?”  _ The vigilante typed into his gauntlet and let the computer voice read it. He scanned the two civilians for any injuries and smiled softly when the girl hid behind the other. 

 

“We are fine… You are one of those vigilantes of Gotham, right? One of these heroes?”

 

To say that Robin was surprised was an understatement. Never had anyone called him anything remotely close to hero and he himself had never seen himself as one. Sure, they were beating up the bad guys but for Robin and Damian it was more out of respect for their father than anything else. 

 

The boy took a small step forward and extended his name. In the dim street light freckles became visible on the other’s cheeks and red hair was fairly messed up. Judging by the clothes and the pin on the girl’s jacket these two belonged to an orphanage. 

 

After some hesitation Robin finally took the hand and shook it before typing something else. 

 

“ _ That man won’t hurt you anymore. Wait here for the police, I sent them a signal.”  _

 

Shooting his grappling hook, the vigilante stopped when a hand touched his shoulder. 

 

“What’s your name?”

 

_ “... Robin.” _

 

* * *

 

“This treatment is below my niveau, Pennyworth. I am a  _ prince _ , you cannot force me to carry those bags like… like…”

 

“Like a child helping out in the household?”

 

Damian glared up at the elderly man and simply huffed as he readjusted his hold on the two bags he was already carrying. Milk, eggs, Grayson’s favourite cereals, coffee, and other groceries he didn’t care about. 

 

“I am not a child, Pennyworth. And this is disgracing.”

 

“I have dully noted this the first ten times, Master Damian. Now, there is only one more shop we need to visit and then you will be freed from this hell of a normal life.” 

 

Clicking his tongue, the teenager rolled his eyes but remained quiet. He couldn’t afford wasting his time with playing house but it was better to just get it over with than causing a scene to make his father supervise him even more. 

 

Once they had reached the last store on their list, Damian remained outside and tapped his foot impatiently. Sure, he had to be the luggage boy but he would be doomed if he were to enter a damn antique shop with somebody just as old as the furniture. 

 

His attention was drawn when he heard the voice of a young girl. His eyes easily found the one who was responsible for the noise and it seemed as if a teenager was stuck with a loud, annoying, and excited girl. They were standing in front of a shop window and the younger one appeared to point at a doll. 

 

“We don’t have the money for that one, Sarah. Come on, we need to hurry or the nuns will get angry at us.”

 

Familiar red hair, clothes, and voice. Damian began to tense up as the teenager from last night walked straight towards him. It was rare that Robin and he met the same people and the vigilante didn’t quite know how to react.

 

Sighing softly, Damian rummaged through one of his pockets and dropped a bundle of money. He looked away as the two passed him and as expected the cash didn’t go unnoticed. 

 

“Excuse me?” the boy spoke up “I think you dropped something.” 

 

“Oh, that? Just leave it there, it’s dirty now anyway.” 

 

It was hard to play the arrogant and rich boy when his arms were full of bags but Damian tried nonetheless, keeping his head high and expression emotionless.

 

“Dirty? Who the heck…You are one of those Wayne kids, aren’t you?”

 

“Who are you calling a  _ kid _ , you imbecile?”

 

The two teenagers glared at each other, not one backing off. Damian was both irritated and impressed by the other’s stubbornness and something told him that if Robin hadn’t shown up that kid could have dealt with the criminal. 

 

“Is there a problem, Master Damian?”

 

Of course it had to be now that Pennyworth left the shop once again. He glared some more but finally averted his gaze and clicked his tongue. 

 

“No, Pennyworth. Those two simply found something and I believe they should keep it.” 

 

One more glare was sent the boy’s way before Damian turned around to leave, however a small chuckle managed to stop him in his tracks. 

 

“Thanks, Robin.”

 

His heart stopped for a second. 

 

_ What? _

 

He turned on his heel to confront the other, however both were already hurrying back to the shop with the doll.

 

“Let us return to the car, Master Damian. Or do you wish to spend some more time carrying those bags?”

 

“Yeah… I’m coming.”


	9. Chapter 9

“I can’t believe I was replaced just like that.”

 

“Grayson, stop.”

 

“And here I thought we had something special, little D. You broke my heart and you aren’t even sorry.”

 

“But you will be when I call Pennyworth. Now get down from that chandelier.” 

 

Damian would love to punch right into that upside down grin from his older brother but the hot chocolate in his hand was priority. So instead he continued to sit on the couch and read the newspaper while his so called mentor got down without breaking yet another lamp. 

 

“So… you and Timmy are going back to Metropolis today… Leaving me alone with mister sunshine. Are you two sure I can’t tag along?”

 

“The last time I checked you still had a job you had to attend every now and then. Besides, all I do there is listen to boring presentations that are wrong, look through files that were done incorrectly, and waste my time while Drake lectures me. I would much rather accompany you than be stuck with that wannabe but he did have a point when he said I had to get to know the family business outside the uniforms.”

 

The goofy expression vanished from Grayson’s face and a serious but affectionate one took its place. When a hand was placed on his shoulder Damian didn’t shake it off like he usually did. 

 

“I’m happy that you two finally spend some time together. You both had a rough start but we are family and no matter what we are there for each other. It’s also nice that you get the chance to leave Gotham once in a while. With all those clouds and smoke it’s easy to forget that the world out there is way brighter and more colourful. And I think you and Tim both could benefit from leaving this all behind from time to time.” 

 

Clicking his tongue, Damian rolled his eyes but couldn’t hide the small twitch of his lip. 

 

“I see you are still spreading fortune cookies wisdom. Don’t worry, Grayson… Drake has been more tolerable for a while now.”

 

The door to the living room opened and a head with nicely combed hair peeked inside. 

 

“Let’s go, gremlin. The meeting is starting in an hour and we still got a bit to drive.”

 

Grabbing his bag from the couch, Damian hesitated and looked away from his brother. 

 

“And stop being silly, Grayson. As if any of those imbeciles could replace you that easily.”

 

The teenager dodged the incoming hair ruffling and left the manor in a hurry, quickly entered the car after the door was slammed shut. 

 

“You okay, Damian?” Drake asked with a knowing smirk and the vigilante wanted to take back that ‘tolerable’ opinion. 

 

“Just drive already.”

 

* * *

 

Sitting across his creator, Robin eyed the original with wary eyes. They were once again sitting in their hotel room at a table and the chess game had been going on for 30 minutes now. The shadow didn’t remember who had suggested that idea but playing against himself was… stressful, to say the least. 

 

The fact that both could feel each other’s emotions didn’t help either. 

 

“Who is winning?” Drake’s voice called out from somewhere in the kitchen. 

 

Of course they both raised their hands.

 

“Come on, Damian. Let’s just send them out, I’m sure I can take Robin’s place and you can continue to scrunch your nose in frustration.”

 

At that his original actually glanced up and over his shoulder.

 

“Is that confidence I hear in your voice, Drake?”

 

“Seeing as how I won the last three matches then yes, that’s clearly confidence.”

 

The older teen entered the living-room and leaned over Damian’s chair, clearly annoying the other on purpose. Red Robin stood quietly behind, blank white eyes seemingly staring at him. Robin couldn’t help but return a small glare. 

 

After all they were truly their creator’s shadows. 

 

_‘Let’s go. No time to waste._ ’ the other vigilante signed and reluctantly Robin stood up after making one more move with his figures. 

 

“You two know the rules. We will expect you back in three hours and you got your messengers if anything is up. Red is the leader of this mission… And now go, you two. I got a small and angry butt to kick in a game.”

 

Before the annoying argument could escalate between the two humans, Robin already jumped out of the hotel window and into the pitch black night. Metropolis was quite annoying with its neatly constructed buildings. Their grappling hooks weren’t as stable as in Gotham and it had already happened once or twice that one shadow had to catch another. Sure, in the worst case they could dissipate before hitting the ground but that would still be a lot of trouble to deal with. 

 

Landing on a nearby roof, Red pulled out the list of addresses they had to check. 

 

_ ‘Looks like the first one is close by. Make sure to stay hidden, we are not here to draw attention. Understood? _

 

Robin simply rolled his eyes but signed back that he had got it. There was no use to start a fight just yet and Damian wouldn’t be too happy about it (seeing as how his creator’s frustration was an indication that he was losing).

 

The two shadow brothers spent the next hour swinging from household to household in hopes to find any clue of a pajama wearing boy with white eyes. Their search was as fruitless as Drake’s love life but they continued their journey, mostly ignoring the mixed feelings the originals felt. 

 

_ ‘Let us take a break.’  _

 

For the first time that night Robin fully agreed with the doppelgänger and he soon found himself sitting on a roof next to his brother. It was a familiar situation - sitting on a roof, legs dangling, snacks shared. But normally it was with Nightwing and not…

 

Robin was pulled out of his thoughts when he was gently nudged in his side. 

 

_ ‘There seems to be a crime going on.’ _

 

Hidden eyes behind a green mask widened and the doppelgänger hurried to sign back. 

 

_ ‘You allow me to go crime fighting? Where is the catch?’ _

 

And for the first time Red Robin actually smiled in his presence. 

 

_ ‘No catch. It’s our job to protect. You go first, I got your back covered.’  _

 

And even though this felt too good to be true, Robin pushed himself off the building and used nearby fire ladders to make his way down. He could feel his brother’s eyes on him and if this was a test, the shadow would pass it easily. 

 

Like a cat on a hunt Robin was perched on a dumpster, simply watching as a group of thieves ran into an alley across the street. Tasteless white hockey masks were used to hide their identities and tense hands were clinging onto guns and bags probably filled with money.

 

Really, crimes in Metropolis were  _ so  _ outdated.

 

With Red Robin still on the roof, the younger vigilante quickly crossed the street and caught up to the criminals. Damian would probably have made a snarky insult by now but for Robin it was dead silent as he knocked out the man in the bag. He managed to take two down before they even noticed him and with practiced moves the shadow dodged one fist after another. A painful scream came from behind and upon turning around, Robin saw how a bataarang had just saved him from being shot in the back. 

 

_ ‘Thanks.’ _

 

His brother jumped down and together they finished the remaining culprits. It was a disgrace how easily these amateurs were down but they didn’t have to fear Batman after all. 

 

_ ‘Good job, Robin. A little bit reckless but you are doing progress.’ _

 

Robin wanted to complain, wanted to return a comeback, or simply ignore the other. However, every idea vanished when he noticed a person standing at the start of the alley, staring right at them. Black hair, blue pajama, white and empty eyes. 

 

The strange shadow. 

 

Pulling at Red Robin’s sleeve, his brother tensed up as well when he finally spotted him. They didn’t dare to move, taken back by the unexpected meeting with their case. Should they take him a prisoner? Ask questions? Leave him be?

 

When the unidentified shadow turned to leave Robin’s first impulse was to stop him, though a hand on his shoulder prevented him from doing so. He wanted to lash out at Red but saw the sign for ‘ _ follow’  _ and understood. 

 

If they follow the shadow around he will take them to his home eventually. 

 

Robin begrudgingly did as he was told and the brothers climbed back onto the roofs to keep easier track on the doppelgänger. It was a rather uneventful pursuit and yet the shadow couldn’t help but be both nervous and excited. After all, they had actually found him. This was their chance to prove themselves to their fathers and maybe Damian would finally forgive him for his past action. 

 

But for now the hopeful dreaming had to wait. The unknown doppelgänger surprisingly led them outside of Metropolis and Robin started to feel a small tug when the distance to his creator became bigger. They were walking down an empty and barely lit street, minute after minute passed without anything in sight. He and Red barely signed at all but finally, what felt like an eternity, a small town sign revealed that they were now in Hamilton. 

 

His brother seemed anxious the longer they followed the boy and once they came to a stop nearby a farmer house, the shadow began to disappear. Robin wanted to ask what was wrong, why Red appeared to be so tense but once his eyes landed on the mailbox his question was answered. 

 

_ Kent _

 

Kent. Like Conner Kent. Like the Conner Kent that Drake had an interest in. No wonder his brother was acting so uneasy. 

 

_ ‘We should return, Red. I’m sure Damian and Drake would love to hear about this change of events.’  _

 

_ ‘Hate you too, little gremlin.’ _

 

Robin didn’t even try to hide his amusement about their newfound information and he knew that Damian would also have his fun with this development. Sure, the two of them might go along now but he would be a terrible brother if he would simply ignore the opportunities to bully the older teen. 

 

What were brothers for, right?


	10. Chapter 10

Leaning back in his chair, Damian took a long sip from his milkshake. He looked around in the café and eyed each customer before his attention returned to the bright red Drake. They were waiting for a certain someone to get his daily coffee to-go and it seemed like his brother was fairly nervous about his upcoming case. 

 

“For somebody who had been on several undercover missions you seem rather troubled, Drake. What is it that has been nagging you? His subprime sport interest? His horrible fashion sense? Or those slightly crooked teeth whenever he speaks?”

 

If glares could kill… But Damian had survived countless of assassination attempts. 

 

“It’s not the same, idiot. I always played a role back then. Wore a mask and different clothes. But this is real. Conner is a nice person and I don’t wanna lose the chance to befriend him just because there might be a shadow user hiding in his town.”

 

“You mean in his  _ house. _ ” Damian emphasized and licked the milk from his upper lip. 

 

“We don’t know that.” Drake hissed back. 

 

Rolling his eyes, the younger Wayne checked his phone for the time. He still had another case to investigate and while mocking Drake for his crush was quite enjoyable, Damian couldn’t waste his whole day with it. Though he didn’t have to waste any longer. The door to the little café opened and revealed Conner Kent accompanied by his little brother Jonathan Samuel Kent. It wasn’t the first time that Damian had seen the boy but it was only now that he actually paid attention. Messy and untamable black hair, a horrendous looking blue and red hoodie, and already torn jeans. He seemed to be as much of a clutter than his brother and the vigilante wondered what Drake saw in that chaotic family. 

 

“Get your things together and focus. It’s showtime.”

 

Damian stood up and grabbed his almost empty shake, a smirk decorating his lips as he nonchalantly walked towards the counter. However, on his way he  _ accidentally  _ ran straight into the Kent person, spilling his precious drink over that tasteless black shirt. 

 

“Oh shit!” The older teen called out and immediately began to inspect his shirt.

 

“Damian, what did you do?” A voice hissed and innocent green eyes glanced over his shoulder.

 

“Sorry, Timothy. I’m just so clumsy today. Could you handle this for me, big brother? I  _ really  _ need to go now.” His upbeat voice clearly irritated Drake but Damian simply raised his eyebrows and moved his head into the direction of the Kents.

 

“Of course, Dames, now go and have fun at your dancing class.”

 

While walking past the two, Damian noticed how the younger teen eyed him suspiciously. He simply sent a small glare and ignored the fact that he hadn’t seen such deep blue eyes in quite a while. 

 

“I’m so sorry, Conner! My little brother is damn clumsy. Are you okay? Wait, let me help dry your shi….”

 

The door fell close behind him and Damian officially didn’t care anymore about his brother’s love life. Sure, their plan to confront Kent had looked quite different but if there was a way for Damian to embarrass Drake even more he sure as hell would take it. Besides, his little stunt had allowed him to get closer and there was no mistaken that Jonathan was the one they had been searching for. He either didn’t know about his shadow, or he was horrible at hiding his identity at all. 

 

Damian sauntered back towards his motorbike and glanced at the time. It wouldn’t take him too long to reach the orphanage in Gotham and it was still open for another four hours. More than enough time for him to find the teen from a few days ago. Sure, no one would listen to an orphan rambling about a Wayne being a masked vigilante but he had learned early that it was better to be prepared for all cases. 

 

Turning on the motorbike, Damian left Metropolis behind in search for answers.

 

* * *

 

“Thank you so much for your donation, mister Wayne. We cannot express how grateful we are. May I ask what brought such generosity?”

 

He was walking through the orphanage, accompanied by two nuns and one with a check in her hand. She seemed to recount the zeroes over and over, not quite believing the number Damian had written down without a glance. 

 

“Nothing special. My father and Wayne Enterprise aim to help everyone in need and it has come to my attention that my family’s last visit here had been quite a while ago. I deemed it important to check up and make sure that you and your sisters are in need of nothing.”

 

While being led through the building, Damian constantly looked for the real reason he had shown up. Of course, the donation was a genuine gift but the teenager probably hadn’t stopped by if he hadn’t been interested in that particular boy. 

 

“I’m sure you wish to share those good news with the others, sister Margaret. Please feel free to leave my side. And if it’s okay I would like to just look around for a bit. As you are aware my brothers were once orphans as well and it is important to me to make sure that the children are reminded of a better future and hope.”

 

“Of course, mister Wayne. This orphanage will always be open for you and your family. Thank you and may God bless you.”

 

Damian watched as the nuns excused themselves and that practiced smile left his mouth. Green narrowed slightly and the teen didn’t waste another minute as he began to walk from room to room. 

 

To see those children in secondhand clothes and with broken toys was heartbreaking and Damian had to swallow down the lump in his throat. He had a rough upbringing but never had there been a day where he hadn’t gotten a great meal and artistically made clothes. An outcasted prince who even here in Gotham was still part of the upper class. 

 

“Do you use money to dry your hands or why do you have so much to give away?”

 

A voice behind him suddenly spoke up and Damian turned around, faced with the boy he had been looking for. Messy red hair, slightly crooked teeth, a too big jacket, and a few freckles here and there under the right light. 

 

“It’s you.” the vigilante said and he already wanted to slap himself in the face. 

 

“It’s me. The one and only… Colin Wilkes.”

 

Damian took the outstretched hand and shook it. 

 

“I’m Dam-”

 

“Damian Wayne. We may not be allowed to watch a lot of television but knowing the Wayne family is something like a must. I may live in an orphanage but I’m not ignorant.”

 

Raising a brow, Damian tensed up slightly. That boy radiated way too much confidence and to top it all off that Colin boy was even taller than him. He didn’t know whether this would end well or become another point on his to-deal-with list but for now Damian kept his public mask on. 

 

“Well, Colin… Seeing as how you are the only one not… scared of my presence how about you show me around and tell me a bit about yourself?” 

 

The orphan simply smiled way too smugly to his liking. 

 

“Sure thing, Damian. Let’s start in the garden.”

 

* * *

 

Leaning back against the bank, Damian watched as a few children ran past them screaming and laughing. It was weird to see so much happiness and contentment in such a grey place. Though there was no denying that most of the kids here had fun as long as they were together. 

 

A young girl especially caught his eye and Damian cocked his head upon recognizing the doll she held as the one from the shop just a few days before. 

 

“Sarah gave it to her. Sure, she had wanted the toy for herself but the other girls loved it so now everyone gets to play with it.” the boy next to him explained, eyes following Damian’s.

 

“I see…. Anyway, Wilkes. I have a question.”

 

“How I knew that you are Robin?”

 

Well, so much about discretion. The vigilante tensed up and nodded with gritted teeth. Having a random person figure out his secret was definitely something Damian could do without.

 

“Hey, relax. It’s okay, you know? No one would believe me anyway and I would be pretty dumb if I were to rat out the one who helped me out. But to answer your question…”

 

Wilkes leaned forward and smirked as he began to count down points with his fingers. 

 

“There is the same body language; the way you hold yourself with a born pride and arrogance, then your short hair and how it is styled, that practiced but awkward interaction, you were both surprisingly small, and the most important point… I had my suspicions and simply guessed when I called you Robin. But hey, you actually reacted so it sure was a lucky guess.”

 

Damian wanted to groan. Really now? It had all been just a stupid idea and he had ran head first into it? The teen clicked his tongue in annoyance and glared at no one in particular. 

 

“Your secret is safe with me, Rob. I promise! Besides, I now can thank you properly for both times you helped me out. And being friends with a superhero sure is a pretty cool thing. Way better than anything in here.”

 

The other’s excitement helped ease his worry a little bit and Damian found himself smiling when Wilkes began to ramble about how cool superheroes were. He answered a few questions here and there and the conversation developed into a pleasing interaction. 

 

Maybe that Colin guy was okay after all. 


	11. Chapter 11

Damian watched patiently as his father coughed on his noon coffee. They were currently in the dining room and Bruce had just sat down for his breakfast when his son had come in. And here the teen stood, arms crossed, head held high, and expression dead serious. 

 

“Damian, what…”

 

“Just consider it, father. Everyone in Gotham knows that adoption is your hobby and it won’t even be that much of a difference. You already have four sons, so one more wouldn’t stand out. Besides, with Gordon, Brown and the others staying over so often you surely cannot tell me that it would get too crowded.”

 

It was the first time that the boy actually saw his father speechless and he tried his best not to look smug. The famous and scary Batman actually at a loss of words and it had been Damian who had managed to surprise his old man. 

 

“Start at the beginning, Damian. Who are we even talking about?”

 

The vigilante had waited for that exact question and he pulled out his phone, already prepared to show several photos of the redhead. 

 

“You will love him. Colin Wilkes. He is my age, smart, and the best part: he’s an orphan. Tragic backstory; Scarecrow used him for experiments before he was saved by the one and only Batman. If those aren’t the perfect requirements to be adopted by Bruce Wayne than I genuinely don’t know why you keep Drake and Todd around.” 

 

His father wanted to speak up but Damian interrupted him. 

 

“I know, I know. No black hair. But he got those blue eyes that I’m missing. And it’s time for a little change, don’t you think? There are many free rooms in the manor and seeing as how you are always gone anyway you wouldn’t even notice one more person.”

 

The teen was quite surprised when Bruce actually placed a hand on his shoulder.

 

“You are not missing anything, Damian. You are everything I could ask for.”

 

While it was surely a touching thing to say it wasn’t what Damian wanted to hear. 

 

“I know I’m great, father. That’s beside the point. So? What do you say? It’s been a while since you last adopted a child.”

 

Bruce sighed but took one more look at the phone before handing it back to Damian. 

 

“Did you ask him if he wants to be adopted in the first place? I know children who are content with their life at the orphanage. It’s like a family made of friends. You should talk to your… friend first and then come back.”

 

It was true that Damian hadn’t asked Wilkes yet… 

 

“Fine, I will be back soon. You better get the papers ready, father. And remember that I will always be your favourite son.”

 

* * *

 

Damian had visited the orphanage three times in a row so it was no surprise when he appeared yet another afternoon in front of the building. He got off his bike and already spotted his new acquaintance who was currently busy reading a book. 

 

“Wilkes!” 

 

The familiar redhead looked up and smiled, current page already forgotten as he jumped off a tree branch to meet Damian. 

 

“You again, Damian. If you like it here so much I’m sure a nun would prepare a room for you.” 

 

The teen simply rolled his eyes and lightly punched Wilkes’ shoulder. 

 

“How about my butler prepares a room for you at the manor? My father would be willing to adopt you if you want to get away from this orphanage and live a better life.”

 

The surprise on his friend’s face was priceless. Wide blue eyes and an open mouth that kept on moving as if he wanted to say something. 

 

“Before you say anything, Wilkes, yes, I am serious. There is a family willing to take you in if you are interested. And I am aware that you might see this place as your home. However, keep in mind that you can return at any given point in time and spend your day here. Not only that, but you could also buy toys for each kid and support the orphanage by advertising it on galas.”

 

“Woah, slow down, pal. That’s a lot to take in.”

 

Damian watched as Wilkes carefully leaned against a fence and he silently clicked his tongue. He was aware of the fact that not once a family had been interested in Colin thanks to his ominous past and scars decorating his body. 

 

“Your father doesn’t even know me. And neither do your brothers. Isn’t that a tad hasty?”

 

Playing around with the helmet in his hands, Damian raised a brow and looked at the other with the hint of a smile. 

 

“My father didn’t know Grayson or Todd either before he took them in. All he saw were two boys who could use some support and meaning. It is yours to decide, Wilkes. But father didn’t say no and the manor is big enough for one or two orphans more. Besides, I believe that you would get along with the others just fine. You have the same annoying energy so you would fit in perfectly.”

 

The other remained quiet for some time and Damian began to fear that he had messed up. However, once his friend took the second helmet off the bike, the vigilante couldn’t hide his satisfaction. 

 

“Wise choice, Colin. Let’s go and meet your new family.”

 

* * *

 

Damian watched with a careful eye as father and Colin studied each other. Several seconds had already passed without either saying something and the teen was already growing impatient. 

 

“So, father? What do you say?” 

 

Bruce remained quiet for a few more seconds before he finally cracked a smile and squeezed Colin’s shoulder. 

 

“I say that I respect whatever decision your friend makes. But he is always welcome here.” 

 

Wilkes lightened up and tension seemed to leave his shoulders as he smiled brightly. 

 

“Thank you, mister Wayne, sir!”

 

The easy laugh that left his father was a sound Damian hadn’t heard in a while and while it hurt that he hadn’t been the reason, the teen was relieved to find the two going along. 

 

“Come on, Colin. I will introduce you to the rest and then we will visit the room Pennyworth prepared for you.”

 

Grabbing Wilkes by the sleeve, Damian dragged him away from his father. He could feel amused eyes on his back and wondered whether the old man had only agreed because Colin had been the first person he had taken an interest in. 

 

Damian shook his head and clicked his tongue. Now wasn’t the time to think about sinister intentions. No, his current mission was to find one of the wannabes. 

 

“Ah, Drake. Great timing.” 

 

It was no surprise that he found his brother in the kitchen with a cup of coffee. His sentence had seemed to irritate his brother and with a smug expression Damian gestured towards Colin. 

 

“This is your new brother, Colin Wilkes. He’s an orphan and father decided to take him in.”

 

With an unsure expression Wilkes outstretched his hand and Drake stared at it for a long second before taking it. 

 

“I’m… Tim… Excuse me, you two, but I need to talk to Bruce.”

 

Damian watched as his brother took his cup and walked past them. “And Bruce says I am the one with an obsession.” 

 

“That went better than I expected.”

 

Colin still looked after their brother and Damian impatiently waited for him to get out of his awe. 

 

“That was Timothy Drake Wayne. He’s the CEO of Wayne Enterprise  _ and  _ he is Red Robin, right?? He once saved a group of children from the orphanage and every girl had a crush on him afterwards.” 

 

“They clearly had no idea what he looked like under his mask.” With a small click of his tongue Damian dragged Colin through the manor and towards their training room. Every friday afternoon Grayson would spent a few hours here just working on his acrobatic skills. 

 

“Look up.” the teen instructed and smirked as Colin’s eyes appeared to grow. Seeing Grayson in his natural element was always a sight to behold and Damian felt pride in showing off his oldest brother. 

 

“Hey little D! Wanna hang out a bit?” 

 

While it was surely tempting to demonstrate his own skills in acrobatic there was surely another time for that. 

 

“Not now. I came here to introduce you to someone. It might be best for you to come down, though. I do not wish to be responsible for you falling onto your neck and dying.”

 

“Have a bit more faith in me, Damian.” his brother laughed as he swung his way down. With an unbeatable grace the young man landed in front of them and his attention was drawn towards the new face. 

 

“Grayson, this is Colin Wilkes. From now on he will be living here as our new brother. Drake is already after him if you wish to confront him as well.” 

 

His brother seemed rather dumbfounded but his confused expression soon turned into a smile. It seemed as if Richard was already used to such odd news and it couldn’t be held against him. Whoever grew up with a man in a bat outfit surely wouldn’t be impressed by yet another adoption. 

 

“Nice to meet you, Colin. I’m Dick Grayson, the oldest and most responsible brother. I gotta leave soon for work but we definitely will make up for the lost time. Keep an eye on our little prince until then.”

 

It was obvious that those two would get along and Damian guessed it was Grayson’s superpower to be liked by everyone. His brother ruffled both his and Colin’s hair before continuing his practice and once again the vigilante dragged his friend away. 

 

“That is so Nightwing. Lots of kids draw him when asked what they want to grow up to. Even the nuns are swooning over him.”

 

“And what about Robin?” Damian asked “Isn’t anyone interested in him?”

 

He didn’t like the side glance that Colin sent him. It was too amused for his liking. 

 

“Robin is like… a 6 or a 7. But Nightwing sure is a 11 out of 10.”

 

Punching Wilkes shoulder, Damian ignored the other’s laugh as they continued their tour to the new room. 

 

“But for real, thanks Damian. This is the best gift anyone could have given me. Thank you.”

 

“You’re welcome, Wilkes. In return you could do a favor for me…” 

 

“What did you have in mind?”

 

“Say… What do you think about a trip to Metropolis?”


	12. Chapter 12

“When you asked me if I wanted to visit Metropolis with you I expected sightseeing or shopping. Not the stalking of a random kid.”

 

“Silence, Colin. We are on a mission and if you plan on being my guy in a chair, or whatever you called it, then you will do as I say.”

 

They were walking side by side through a park in Metropolis as the sun shone and people spent their time. Children were screaming and playing, couples were openly making out and old people wasted time on banks. 

 

_ Imbeciles.  _

 

Their current target was throwing a stick for a white dog, accompanied by a girl with blond braided hair. 

 

“Kathy Branden.” Damian mumbled under his breath. “She recently moved to Hamilton, lives with her grandfather and goes to the same school as Kent.”

 

He could feel the eyes of his friend on him. 

 

“Dude, you  _ really  _ stalked him, didn’t you? Did you do the same before meeting me?”

 

“Shut it, Colin. And of course I did. It’s called investigation. We need to know what we are dealing with, after all.”

 

His friend simply sighed and took another bite from his sandwich as they followed the duo in a safety distance. 

 

“So let me get this straight. That kid over there can use one of those clone things-”

 

“Shadows.”

 

“Yea, that. And he probably doesn’t know that he can create one which in return makes him a danger to you because…”

 

“Because he could out us all or be influenced by the bad people and overall we prefer being informed who is and isn’t a shadow caster.”

 

“I bet you do.” was Colin’s simple answer as he licked his fingers clean. 

 

“So… all we gonna do is follow them around and hide behind bushes and take notes? Wouldn’t it be way easier to just ask him about it?” 

 

Colin probably had a point but Damian had already tried that approach and had failed. 

 

“That had been Drake’s mission. His part should have been to infiltrate the Kent family from within and gain information through the older brother. However, as expected he turned out to be a liability who only meets up with that Conner outside their houses. He even has those cheesy dates where they see movies together and whatnot. So seeing as how Drake is officially out of action…”

 

“You decided to make me your new minion.”

 

Well, Damian wouldn’t have formulated it like that but… 

 

“More like my sidekick. Besides, with you here it looks less like I’m out of place. You are my cover so behave like it, Colin.”

 

The light push of his friend actually made him smile and together Damian and Colin continued their little mission. They bought themselves some ice cream and continued their little chit chat until the plan was ruined just like that. 

 

All because of a thrown stick. 

 

The white dog ran straight towards them, tongue stucked out with excited barks. The item of interest had landed way too close to them and they seemed to smell interesting enough for an animal to check out. Damian found himself circled by the dog and while he normally loved being surrounded by animals this time he tried to shoo it away. 

 

“Krypto, come here, boy!”

 

Just as expected, the cheerful fashion disaster ran straight towards them, a worried expression on his face. While Damian tried his best not to scowl Colin simply grinned at the interesting turn of events. 

 

“I’m so sorry, I hope you’re not afraid of dogs? I told him not to run off and bother others!”

 

Green watched closely as the country boy tried to pull the dog away, however his Gotham scent was probably too strange to be left alone just like that. With a heavy sigh the boy stopped the embarrassing moment and instead sent them a crooked smile while ruffling his hair. 

 

“I’m Jonathan but you can call me Jon. This here is my dog Krypto. I promise he is friendly, he just has a mind on his own at times.”

 

“My name is Colin Wilkes and this is my brother.”

 

When the teen didn’t spoke up right away he was greeted with an elbow to his side. 

 

“I’m-”

 

“Damian Wayne, the brother of Tim, right? We kinda met in that café a while ago.” Kent interrupted him. “I thought mister Wayne had four sons. So is it true that he can’t stop himself from adopting people? Oh man, I hope that doesn’t come off rude, it’s just a meme here in Metropolis.”

 

While Damian had no clue what a meme was, he didn’t wish to show that lack of knowledge. Instead his interest returned to the dog and the teen scratched Krypto’s head, watching as the animal immediately leaned against him. 

 

“Wow, he seems to like you… Hey, do you wanna throw the stick for Krypto? He loves to play fetch!”

 

The toy was offered to Damian and with some hesitation he accepted the stick. The dog was already excited at the idea of playing and its tail was wagging uncontrollably. Sure, the vigilante was mad that their disguise had been destroyed but his soft heart for animals couldn’t help but bloom. Without a word he threw the stick and watched as Krypto ran as fast as he could after it. 

 

“Do you live in Metropolis, Jon? It’s my first time here and this city is so overwhelming I don’t know where to start.”

 

Damian sent his friend a confused look and didn’t know whether he should be concerned about the shit eating grin on Colin’s lips. 

 

“I’m actually from Hamilton, it’s a small town just outside of Metropolis. But my parents work here so I know my way around… If you want I could show you around a bit? We have an awesome arcade and the shopping mall isn’t too far away. And I don’t wanna brag but the food here is the best!”

 

Krypto came back with the stick and Damian kneeled down to pet the dog for its efforts. It melted under his touch and almost threw the teen off his feet when it nudged into his side in search for more affection. 

 

“What do you say, Dames? I’m starving and I haven’t been to an arcade in years! Also you could spend more time with Krypto. It’s a win win situation.”

 

He knew that Colin was partially lying. Somebody who had just eaten two sandwiches couldn’t be hungry but if this was an attempt on infiltrating the daily routine of their target then Wilkes was smarter than he looked. 

 

“Fine… I guess having a guide would only be profitable for our cause here. Lead the way, Jonathan.”

 

Waving his friend over, Jon seemed excited to be around new people. He and Colin began to exchange interests which was just fine for Damian. 

 

He would leave the taking to his friend. 

 

* * *

 

Damian had never been to this arcade before. Most of the times he visited the one in Blüdhaven with Grayson, however that place was a dumpster in contrast to the one he was standing in now. It was cleaner and more organized, not to mention the varied collection of games found. His heart beat just a little bit faster upon seeing all the titles he had always wished to play. 

 

Colin seemed to share his hidden excitement. 

 

“This is so awesome. Forget the manor in Gotham, I’m gonna move here.”

 

That girl Kathy was entertaining Krypto outside the arcade and Damian was pleased with her not being around. Something about her behavior just put him off and she seemed to be suspicious about his sudden interest in her friend. 

 

“Which one do you wanna try first, Colin?” Jonathan asked with a grin as he didn’t even try to hide his pride. Yea, sure, Metropolis had some nice places in contrast to Gotham but Gotham had… 

 

Masked vigilantes?

 

Damian was surprised when his friend suddenly grabbed his arm and before he could complain, Colin already dragged him towards a dancing game. There were four symbols on the ground and judging by the huge screen above you were supposed to touch the ones that were displayed.

 

“Really, Colin? You wish to dance race me?”

 

It was weird how Wilkes’ excitement managed to somehow rub over onto him and Damian found himself accepting the challenge without so much of hesitation. 

 

“The winner gets to dance against me.” 

 

“Really, Jonathan? You believe yourself good enough to challenge  _ me _ ?” Damian said out of habit. The other’s laugh surprised him, though it seemed like friendly bickering was appropriate as of now. 

 

“Oh please, Dames. Who says you are going to win? I believe Dick is the one with the rhythm while you are more of a stomping type.”

 

Both brothers climbed onto the dance game and began to stretch their limbs. It didn’t take long for the machine to start and Damian was taken back by the fairly difficult combinations thrown at him. He was actually struggling in such an easy game and the worst part was that Colin seemed to have no problems at all. His friend moved with a surprising ease and the vigilante couldn’t help but glare at the other’s grin. 

 

“What? If you live together with so many girls and boys you do learn some moves here and there. Not to brag but I was fairly good at ‘just dance’ as well.”

 

Alright. So maybe he had underestimated his opponent. Damian clicked his tongue and tried to focus more on the game. 

 

_ Concentrate. See the pattern. Adjust to the rhythm. Let your body do the thinking… Damn you, Grayson, maybe your lessons weren’t as useless as I believed them to be.  _

 

After a while, the teen actually managed to catch up. His body moved in perfect sync to the music and it actually reminded him of his training sessions with his brother. That smooth transition from one motion into another, the anticipations of the next step… like an artistic fighting style. 

 

Like Grayson. 

 

The round came to an end way too soon and Damian was disappointed to see that he was still behind Colin by just a few hundred points. Stupid. What a stupid game. 

 

And yet Jonathan and several other onlookers clapped once they were done. 

 

“That was so amazing! Are you sure you two never played it before? Especially you, Damian! You looked so helpless at first but then you suddenly calmed down and you two were so cool!” 

 

It was such an innocent excitement and as his and Colin’s eyes met they both laughed. 

 

“Thanks, Jon. Now get up here, we both got a dance off, don’t we? Or are you chickening out?”

 

The smirk Colin received was full of confidence and as Damian climbed down Jonathan actually petted his shoulder. 

 

_ I sure met two odd people. Though they aren’t that bad.  _

 

The two new friends continued their quarrel and the teen watched them for a few moments before his attention was drawn to another arcade game not too far away. 

 

_ Cheese Viking.  _

 

Huh. Maybe he and Colin should come by more often after their investigation work was over. 


	13. Chapter 13

Standing perfectly still, the shadow didn’t dare to breathe. He had never been in such an awkward situation and Robin didn’t like it at all. The way he was studied and looked at with awe and excitement was something that made him want to punch something and the amused expression of his creator only managed to piss him off some more. 

 

But here he was; not moving as Colin inspected every little detail of his costume. 

 

“This is sooo cool.” the kid whispered under his breath as he took Robin’s hand into his own to look at the sharp fins on the outfit. 

 

“I designed that uniform with the help of Grayson. Put a bit more edge and functionality into it. Can you believe that Nightwing used to wear those green scalie pants? In contrast to him, I respect myself and I would never let Robin walk around in such a horrendous costume.”

 

Raising his brow, Robin looked over to Damian and simply clicked his tongue. 

 

“So you two are like the same person just split up. And you share whatever pain, right?” 

 

“Careful, Colin. It almost sounds like you have sinister intentions.”

 

By now the shadow wasn’t listening anymore. He had listened to that obscurity 101 way too often to care anymore so instead of being bored by the two, Robin began to stretch for his upcoming lesson with Nightwing. 

 

Their fathers hadn’t reacted kindly to the information of Wilkes knowing. But then again the boy had found out all by himself and Bruce hadn’t tried to deny Colin’s sharp mind. So here Damian was, lecturing his friend about the history of doppelgängers, the do’s, and most importantly the don’ts. 

 

The noise of a phone finally caught Robin’s attention again and he raised a brow when Colin shoved his phone into Damian’s face. 

 

“Look what I just got. A message from Jon asking if we wanna hang out with him this weekend.”

 

Damian jumped onto his feet and reached for the phone, expression doubtful. 

 

“When did you get his number? And you two even write on a daily basis.”

 

Chuckling, Colin stole his phone back and put it back into his pocket. 

 

“Is somebody jealous? I asked him on that day in the arcade when you were busy playing that gouda game.”

 

“It’s called cheese viking and it is quite a challenge if you take it seriously.” his creator defended. 

 

Seeing Damian get dragged by yet another brother was surely a view Robin enjoyed. The little Napoleon deserved a little knock down every now and then and if he couldn’t deal the blows then he would cheer for others to do so. 

 

“So what do you say, Dames? How about we ask him to hang out here at the manor. You got that cinema room, the gaming corner, a giant garden, and lots of other things we could do.”

 

Damian seemed to study him for awhile and Robin stared right back. He knew that the other was considering the idea, though it was a dangerous one if somebody’s shadow were to pop up out of nowhere. _ The look was a warning _ , the doppelgänger suddenly understood and he clicked his tongue in annoyance. 

 

“You can invite him for the weekend. Now that we got an ongoing connection, Drake and I don’t have to visit Metropolis anymore, which in return means that Robin can go back to training with Nightwing. And he surely needs the practice after slacking off the past few days.”

 

Reaching for a bataarang, Robin threw it straight at the other and watched as Damian caught it, both their hands starting to bleed. They glared at each other for a few more seconds before the original made his way over to him. 

 

“Colin, you should step aside. Looks like somebody wants to be reminded of his place.”

 

A small smirk lingered on the shadow’s lips and he attacked without another warning. 

 

It had been a while since their last sparring session.

 

* * *

 

The remaining days went over quickly and soon enough did the boy find themselves making actual plans for their ‘playdate’, as Grayson had called it. 

 

“We are not going to throw a party, Colin. With only one butler it would take too long to organize it and clean up afterwards. Any other ideas?”

 

They were making their way to the kitchen for some dinner when a suspiciously brown jacket caught Damian’s attention. It was simply thrown on a nearby chair and with a deep sigh they entered the room to be greeted by a sadly familiar person. 

 

“Todd, what are you doing here?”

 

The young man turned around and raised a brow as his mouth was stuffed full with cake. 

 

“Emon Bread.”

 

_ Demon brat.  _

 

Jason Todd. The second oldest and annoying brother. Weird white strand of hair, too many leather jackets, and daddy’s little rebel. Damian had forgotten that every once in a while he would come by just to steal Pennyworth’s food, complain about his near death situation, and then leave again for several weeks. 

 

“Colin, this is another brother of yours. The useless black sheep of the family.”

 

With some satisfaction the boy watched as the older one choked on the piece of cake and it was what he deserved. 

 

“Rotha?” Todd coughed as he quickly grabbed himself a glass of water to down. 

 

“Kiddo, if your father adopted another orphan than-”

 

“Than what? Drake and Grayson already wanted to talk to him but Colin will not go anywhere. So either get used to him or leave the manor and our lives like you always do.”

 

He crossed his arms and glared at his brother, ready to start a fight any time. However, he was interrupted when his friend stepped forward and outstretched his hand. 

 

“I’m Colin Wilkes. I was an orphan but thanks to Dames I’m allowed to stay here from now on. I have heard quite a lot about you, Jason, and I support what you are fighting for.”

 

Suspicious eyes studied the two of them but Todd finally cracked a smile and accepted the offered hand. 

 

“You don’t seem half bad, kid. Dunno what you’re doing around baby brat then. I’ll see you two around, tell Alfred his baking skills are as perfect as always.”

 

Damian watched as the older brother grabbed another piece of cake before leaving the kitchen, however not without ruffling their hair first. It was an annoying gesture that somehow every brother had started to adopt.

 

“Are there… any other brothers I have to meet?” Colin asked unsurely as he watched Todd leave, cautious of the guns sticking out. 

 

“No, that’s it. There is Cain but she is mostly away with Brown. So for now you are good. Though… does Thomas count? Whatever, for now you met the core. Don’t bother yourself with it.”

 

They sat down at the kitchen table and began to make a list with possible activities. Most of Damian’s suggestions weren’t even considered and in the end they agreed on video games and a movie. 

 

“We will ask Pennyworth to get some snacks and unhealthy drinks. When will Jonathan arrive?”

 

His friend checked his phone and Damian tapped his pen impatiently. He began to doodle on his paper and thought about their plan. It was stupid to simply befriend somebody in hopes they would tell you everything you want to know. Colin was naive to believe this could actually work but he had to learn from his mistakes. And in the end the teen didn’t mind those meetings too much. He had found himself enjoying the presence of Wilkes and the outlook of having another user in his age around was rather promising. 

 

“We got three more hours. Let’s go and sort out your games, I definitely wanna try that smash one you got. Oh, and mario party. And Kart.”

 

“I thought you wanted to befriend him?”

 

They shared a smile and sauntered over to the living-room where a mountain of games was already awaiting them. It seemed as if Pennyworth had already collected most of the competitive ones and it was left to the duo to look for the perfect games for the day. 

 

With the time passing by like it was nothing, Damian got lost in their activities when voices appeared close by. A quick glance at the clock told the friends that it was already 6pm and they hurried onto their feet just as Jonathan was led into the living-room. He was carrying a bag with snacks peeking out; an unsure but awe filled smile on his lips. 

 

“Hey, Colin. Hey Damian.”

 

It was Wilkes who closed the distance and greeted Jonathan with a grin. He helped him get familiar with the most important rooms while Damian was already working on starting the first game. Once his friends reappeared the country boy seemed calmer and it was obviously thanks to Colin’s open personality that the other felt more at ease. 

 

“What friendship destroying game would you like to play first, Jonathan?” 

 

The two boys joined him on the couch and together they began their first shared evening. 


	14. Chapter 14

It was late in the night when Damian sneaked into the guest room assigned to Jonathan Kent. They had spent hours playing games; had yelled, shoved, laughed, and eaten unhealthy food. Even Grayson had showed up and played a round or two with them before ‘work’ had called for him. Overall, it had been a pleasant evening and in the end Colin had suggested for Jon to stay over. A quick call had settled the agreement and around midnight everyone had gone to their rooms. 

 

Only for Damian to remain awake the whole time. The clock was reading 3AM and the teen used his training to stalk the sleeping figure without any interruptions. Jonathan should be in his deep sleep stage currently and if there was a moment for a shadow to appear without the original noticing then now was the perfect moment. 

 

He waited. 

 

And waited. 

 

And waited. 

 

Around 4AM Jonathan finally began to grow restless. A groan of the sleeping boy pulled Damian out of his thoughts and just as expected he saw a person materializing next to the bed. 

 

The doppelgänger wore the same borrowed clothes as Jon did and white blank eyes stared at his original. 

 

“There you are.” Damian mumbled under his breath but the shadow didn’t react to his presence at all. He clicked his tongue in slight irritation. 

 

“I’m talking to you, replica.”

 

With growing annoyance the teen had to watch as the doppelgänger moved around the room without any goal, not acknowledging him in the slightest. It took in the bookshelves and foreign clothes, the bathroom door and the boring carpet. A hand suddenly rested on Damian’s shoulder and he huffed. 

 

“Fine, you try it.”

 

Robin slowly walked past him and removed the mask to reveal equal white eyes. Seconds passed but the copy finally seemed to get interested and to Damian’s surprise it walked over towards the vigilante. His doppelgänger stood perfectly still as the other reached out to circle those soulless eyes and Damian held his breath. 

 

“Take him to the training room. We cannot risk anyone seeing him.” 

 

Luckily Robin seemed to agree. He took the replica’s hand into his own and slowly led him out of the room. Damian closed the door behind them and walked first in case somebody was still awake in the manor. The gym was in the west wing of the building and away from most of the bedrooms thanks to its loud echo.

 

Once they arrived, Robin tried to wiggle his hand free but for some reason the copy refused to let go. Maybe it was because it hadn’t had contact with another doppelgänger before, or because Robin represented an anchor in this unknown place. 

 

Anyway, Damian thought it was a hilarious view. 

 

“He probably doesn’t know any sign language so see how much he understands through gestures.”

 

He sat down not too far away from the couple and watched with curious green when his shadow began with easy interactions: Shaking hands, nodding, and smaller games like rock-paper-scissors. 

 

Jonathan’s shadow seemed to react fairly normal, the only exception was that he still refused to acknowledge Damian’s presence at all. Whether it was because he was a human or… well,  _ Damian, _ remained unclear. However, while the copy didn’t pay him attention, it surely had taken a liking to Robin. 

 

With slight amusement the teen observed how close the replica was to his shadow at any given point in time. It would have been almost adorable if Robin hadn’t shared his face, because now it seemed like Damian and Jonathan were the close ones. 

 

“So Jon really has one, huh?”

 

Turning around, the teen was surprised to see his friend entering the training room. Colin’s hair was messier than usual and he wore clothes too big for him. While the bags under his eyes spoke of sleep deprivation, the smile plastered on his face made up for it. 

 

“That’s pretty darn cool.”

 

His friend walked over to him and together the two teenagers watched as the doppelgängers interact. It was weird, seeing Robin in the role of a teacher but it seemed as if his other self made a decent job. Damian tried his best not to think about their past at the league but his haunted feelings didn’t go unnoticed, judging by the other’s painful expression. 

 

The sudden shift in Robin’s behavior seemed to affect Jon’s copy as well. Brows were furrowed and a head cocked in a silent question. However, it seemed as if the doppelgänger’s attention was drawn to something else when it suddenly made its way over to the door. Jumping up in alert, Damian and Robin’s eyes met and together they hurried after their guest. 

 

They couldn’t risk it being seen by anyone. 

 

“Hey, wait a second!” the teen hissed under his breath but there was no stopping. He tried to push the shadow back inside the practice room but with annoyance Damian had to realize that he was simply dragged along by the other’s movements. 

 

“What’s going on, Damian? Where is he going?”

 

Colin caught up to them and seeing his friend’s struggle he, too, tried to stop the doppelgänger. 

 

“Hell if I knew. Everything should be fine, he was cooperating with us a second ago. There is no reason for him…”

 

Green eyes widened in sudden realization and Damian looked over towards his replica who seemed to think the same. 

 

“Robin, help Colin stop him. Lock him into a bathroom if necessary but don’t let him get away. And watch out for the others. Father might still be awake and Drake’s sleep schedule is a mess.” 

 

Reluctantly, the teenager stepped back and watched as his shadow took his place. 

 

“Wait, I don’t understand. Where are you going, Dames?”

 

Biting his lip, Damian shook his head and already headed into the direction of the stairs. 

 

“There is no reason for a doppelgänger to suddenly head into a certain direction unless its creator wants it to. Jonathan is awake and I can’t let these two meet before I know everything about his abilities.”

 

He clicked his tongue in annoyance and sprinted through the west wing of the manor, determined to get to their guest before anyone else could. It was only natural for the shadow to return. After all, when Jonathan is awake there is no need to protect him. It reminded Damian of the times Robin had watched over him whenever he had been unconscious. With the life he had lived there had never been a moment of rest and safety. If you hadn’t been ready to fight at any given point then you were useless for the league. 

 

But why did Jon’s shadow feel the need to protect him? What was happening in Hamilton that forced a doppelgänger to materialize itself without anybody knowing?

 

The train of thoughts only unnerved Damian more and he scolded himself for being a fool. Instead of bringing Jonathan here to study the shadow, he should have stayed at the other’s place to see what hidden danger awaited. 

 

_ Next time then.  _

 

Within a few minutes Damian reached the stairs and he took two steps at the same time to hurry up. It was rare for a guest to wake up in the middle of the night, seeing as how the beds were pretty comfy. Of course, for a Wayne it was a common thing to wake up from nightmares but Jonathan shouldn’t have a reason.

 

“Damian?”

 

A sleep filled voice surprised the teen and he turned around to be greeted by a yawn. Jon’s too big shirt was sliding down his shoulder, one hand scratching his tummy as he had troubles keeping his eyes open. 

 

“Jon…” Voice soft and quiet, Damian walked over towards the other. “What are you doing out here? I told you the bathroom was just across the hall.”

 

All he got was a cheesy smile in return and somehow the vigilante couldn’t be mad. 

 

“‘m thirsty.”

 

“Yeah, of course you are. Return to your room and wait there, I will get you some water. Anything else you need?”

 

His friend seemed to think for a few seconds before shaking his head. Damian watched carefully as the other turned around to go back and with a small relieved sigh he left for the kitchen. 

 

_ That was close.  _

 

Damian ran a hand through his hair and hurried back downstairs to get a glass of water. Colin was nowhere to be seen and he guessed that was a good thing. Technically, Robin could easily take the shadow out, or restrain him, however, any damage done to him would be felt by Jonathan and that was something they couldn’t risk. 

 

Hopefully Robin knew that as well. 

 

He left most of the lights turned off in hopes that nobody would get alerted of their nightly activity. The manor was familiar territory and Damian didn’t need to see much to coordinate around. The number of steps, the corners, the decoration. It was all memorized. Once he had reached the kitchen, the teenager filled a glass with water and fished for one of Pennyworth’s cookies. 

 

If he could get away with a midnight snack he sure as hell would go with it.

 

Damian took a little more time getting back to the guest room, mostly because he shouldn’t run while eating and holding onto a glass. Instead he walked fast and sent out a little nudge towards his shadow. The absence of any panicked whisper or hurried movements was reassuring but the boy couldn’t help but worry a bit. Wherever Colin and Robin were, his doppelgänger didn’t seem to want him to know. 

 

The last steps towards the guest room were slowed down and Damian took a deep breath once he had reached the door. He lifted his hand to knock but to his surprise the door wasn’t closed. A bad feeling started to overcome him and the teen grew nervous. 

 

“Jonathan? You alright?”

 

Pushing the door open, Damian froze in place upon seeing the scene before him. 

 

Jon was sitting on his bed, shirt still hanging loosely from his shoulder, his eyes wide and mouth open. Robin was pulling at the other shadow’s arm while blank white glared at Colin, who rubbed his temple. 

 

The rage, disappointment, and frustration from his shadow all hit him at once and Damian stumbled into the room, drawing the attention towards himself.

 

“I’m sure you have a lot of questions, Jon…”

 

And Damian didn’t know where to even start.


	15. Chapter 15

The first time he had met his shadow had been outside the hideout. His grandfather had left him in a snowy forest at night with one word:

 

_ Survive.  _

 

Damian had been 6 years old. 

 

The coldness had torn at his skin, the darkness had been his enemy. 

 

And the mist had stopped him from seeing the cliff. 

 

Damian sometimes dreamt of that moment. When his feet lost their ground, when his heart stopped for a second and when the feeling of gravity was taken from him. In that moment the boy had truly believed that his short life was over. 

 

If it hadn’t been for someone grabbing his wrist. 

 

Robin hadn’t had a name for many years. Damian had never seen a reason to actually give him a name. In his mind, the little boy had always referred to the shadow as Harris - his guardian. Even today the doppelgänger only wore a title and not a name. 

 

Maybe because Damian was too scared to call himself. 

 

After his first appearance, Harris had continued to help out both in training and in the silent moments. Ra's Al Ghul had been more than delighted to hear about his grandson’s ability and months passed in which Damian’s skin was covered in his own and foreign wounds. The training had been restless and when one lost consciousness, the other had to take over. 

 

Damian remembered the nights fairly clear. When they were huddled together and Harris flinched at every movement outside their room. Nightly training was no stranger to them and before the little boy had realized it, his doppelgänger had become protective. 

 

And protective meant disobedience eventually. 

 

* * *

 

Breathing heavily, Damian wiped the sweat off his forehead and the blood from his cheek. His chest was rising unevenly and a violent pain tore through his body with each cough. The heat of the nearby flames only added to his already delusional state and his vision threatened to leave him completely. 

 

The 15 years old teenager was leaning most of his body weight on his sword when his grandfather looked down at him with disappointment and disgust. Out of the corner of his eye he could see his mother standing by, knew that painful expression of hers whenever she couldn’t risk speaking up against her father. Several scars on her body had proved that. 

 

“Stand up.” Ra’s Al Ghul ordered and Damian knew that it would be better for him to obey. His legs threatened to give in the moment he forced just a bit of weight onto them but the boy managed to hold himself up. 

 

His grandfather didn’t allow him a second to recover before the next attack went through. Barely able to dodge it, Damian pulled his sword out of the dirt and parried a blade just inches away from his cheek. 

 

Like every year the teenager was forced to fight the unbeatable and mightly leader of the league in order to show off his improvements and lessons. And like every year Damian was beaten nearly to death before he would be carelessly thrown into the pit for regeneration. 

 

He had a feeling that this year would be no different. 

 

The attacks of his grandfather came without mercy and once the sword stopped moving, Damian pathetically believed it to be over. His hope vanished when the blood began to spill from his side and with a sharp awareness the boy became aware of the blinding pain in his side. Regardless his better judgement he began to scream and stared with horror into the face of an unforgiving man. 

 

“I told you to fight. But this is just pathetic.”

 

Somewhere Damian could hear the voice of his mother in the background, quickly followed by screams and orders. The sounds around him began to mix into a single pitched tone and the boy furrowed his brows as the monster before him actually fell to its knees. The scared Ra’s Al Ghul collapsed right next to him and through a blurry vision Damian recognized his own face towering above with a dagger soaked in blood. White stared at him with worry and a second later the boy was pulled to his feet by soft hands. 

 

“---et-----out--------ather-----ngry----un!”

 

The world around Damian began to collapse and the next time he was capable of focusing his thoughts the noise of a helicopter tore through his already existing headache. 

 

“Damian, darling, stay with me. I will take you to safety but I need you to stay awake.”

 

_ Mother…  _

 

A new burning sensation surrounded his wound and with a small whimper the teenager tried to pull away. 

 

“It will be okay. We need to disinfect the wound, dear. This time there won’t be a pit healing you. Don’t try to move, one of my man will stitch it up.” 

 

Green eyes were squeezed shut and Damian bit his lip as he nodded weakly. The pain was unbearable but when he tightened his grip on a hand holding his own, the teenager was surprised to feel the sensation. 

 

Harris. His guardian. 

The one who had stabbed Ra’s Al Ghul into the back. 

 

“It’s your fault.” Damian whispered. Tears ran down his cheeks and mixed with the sweat and dirt. 

 

They had just lost their home, family, and safety. 

 

And it had all been his shadow’s fault. 

 

* * *

 

The first few months in Gotham had been harsh. Damian had gone from a skilled and respected prince to a suspicious nobody locked away in a fancy prison. Neither his father nor Drake had wanted to believe a single word he had spoken and only Grayson and Pennyworth had been kind enough for casual conversations when they had brought food. 

 

His mother had vanished the second he had been left in his father’s “care” and his shadow had stayed away from him. Half a year later it had showed itself again in the worst moment possible. Damian and Grayson had sparred with each other and the older one had taken advantage of the boy’s arrogance in order to throw him onto his back. He had been in a vulnerable and open position, and even though Damian had known deep down that the man wouldn’t hurt him, he had still began to panic. 

 

And his shadow had felt his emotional mess. 

 

Harris had appeared behind Grayson and Damian had yelled for it to stop, only for its fist to be caught by another person. 

 

That had been the first time the teenager had seen Nightwing. 

 

The two brothers had sat down together on the roof of the manor and simply talked. About their pasts, their shadows, their expectations. Damian had explained why he couldn’t trust his doppelgänger and Grayson had tried his best to change his mind. 

 

“Robin.” Richard had said. 

 

“What?”

 

“My parents used to call me that… And when he first appeared after their death… I called him that. He was supposed to remind me of the reasons I fight. And whenever I would say his name I would think of my parents and how they loved me. It gave me the hope and strength I needed in order to move on.”

 

“Then why did you change his name?”

 

Grayson had laughed at that. 

 

“Because I grew up, I guess. This all had become something way bigger. I wasn’t fighting for my parents anymore, I was fighting for my new family, my friends, for Gotham and Blüdhaven. Besides, your father and I work in the night so something like Robin or Sparrow seemed unfitting. I wanted to be a bird of the night, you know? Your father chose fear but I want to represent something more… bright.”

 

“Nightwing. The Robin in the night?” Damian had clicked his tongue. “That’s idiotic.”

 

“Maybe so. But I like it. What about you? What do you call him?”

 

The teenager had hesitated greatly. 

 

“I used to call it my guardian… But it destroyed my life and future because it couldn’t follow a simple order… It does not deserve a name. I’m a nothing because of it.”

 

“You know, I don’t think that being Damian Wayne is nothing. It might not even be half bad. And to be fair, I would have kicked your grandfather’s ass as well if I had been there. I know what it’s like to feel like you have lost everything… But there is a brighter future for you, Damian. You just gotta work for it. And until your father pulls the bataarang out of his pants I will be here to remind you of your new annoying family. That’s what brothers are for.”

 

For the first time Damian hadn’t struggled against a hug. 

 

“How about calling him Robin, hm? I think you could use a little reminder that there is hope and love waiting for your thickheaded self. And believe me when I say you are truly a Wayne. Someone has to be blood related to him in order to be that stubborn.”

 

He had tried to shove his brother away but Grayson had simply tightened his embrace. 

 

“It’s a borrowed name, Damian. Once you find your own hope and self you can return it. Deal?”

 

“... Deal.”


	16. Chapter 16

Damian had been in many dangerous situations. He had fought off enemies after enemies, had faced his grandfather, mother and father in combat. 

 

But nothing had prepared him for the awkward silence he was currently experiencing. 

 

Sitting on the bed next to Jonathan, he could see the other staring at the shadows with an unreadable expression. Colin had closed the door for them and Robin had crossed his arms in silent protest. He could feel the irritation and frustration radiating from the doppelgänger but that had to wait until later. For now Damian had to make sure that the other wouldn’t scream or lose consciousness or whatever normal people did upon seeing their own clone. 

 

“It is a lot for you to take in, Jon, but I need you to stay calm. I will explain what you need to know but you gotta promise me that you won’t share this knowledge with anyone. If outsiders were to hear about this they would try to use you.”

 

The nod he received seemed hesitant but it was better than nothing. 

 

“You probably have heard about doppelgängers seemingly appearing on photos, or about myths of creatures with completely white eyes. Most of those can be lead to what we call a shadow of ourselves. They are like a mirror version of our soul. I’m sure you can feel it, right? How a part of you is missing… That emptiness in your chest.”

 

His eyes moved towards Robin. 

 

“It’s because a part of you freed and materialized itself in our world. You are still connected through emotions and if you focus enough you can hear its thoughts and sense where it is. You can see a shadow as an extension. Its you and yet itself.”

 

Damian was unsure whether Jonathan was able to follow him, however no one spoke up so he continued to explain the basics. The rest would have to wait until later because honestly? He was tired. 

 

“We do not know where this separation found its origin… but fact is that a limited amount of people are capable of giving their true self a form. You obviously were not aware of your other part which is why your doppelgänger is wearing the same pajama as you.”

 

Standing up, the teenager stretched his arms and watched as Robin dissipated. Emotions, thoughts, and experiences entered his body and after he shook off the odd sensation, Damian returned his attention to his friend. 

 

“I can show you tomorrow how to call for him. But for now I want you to close your eyes. Reach out for the lost past and pull it back towards you; wish for him to return and make you whole again.”

 

Jon looked up at him with an unsure expression and Damian was secretly grateful that his friend was still listening at least. 

 

“Damian, I don’t think I can…”

 

“You can.” He said with determination that left little to no room for arguing. 

 

“You are strong, Jonathan. Your shadow is capable of materializing himself without your help. That needs time and practice, and some users may never be capable of this. I’m not one to compliment easily but I am not ignorant to natural talent. Now close your eyes and do as I said.”

 

The boy tried his best to relax and while Damian thought of those deep breaths as useless, he didn’t comment on it. Jonathan’s doppelgänger hesitantly walked over to his creator and placed a hand on his friend’s shoulder in silent support. Several long moments passed but the shadow finally began to disappear like mist in a strong breeze. A shiver ran through Jon and the next time their eyes met they were left with the trio from the evening before. 

 

“It’s an odd feeling, isn’t it? Remember it as well as you can. That way all this will become easier.”

 

There was a moment of silence in which they simply smiled at each other, however, it was rather short lasting before Colin decided to once again make himself noticeable. 

 

“Great. Now that we are all uptodate I suggest we get some damn sleep. I don’t know about you but I sure could use a few more hours.”

 

His brother stretched his arms and already walked towards the door to get more of his precious sleep. Looking back towards Jon, Damian hesitantly stood up as well and joined the other by the exit. 

 

“We will talk later, Jonathan. Colin is right, we should rest some more.”

 

“G’night, Jon.” 

 

Together the brothers left the guest room and went their own ways. Damian wasn’t exactly comfortable with leaving their guest alone after such a reveal but he couldn’t deny that he was tired as well. The promise for more knowledge had to be enough to keep Jon there overnight. And if not… Well, he knew where to find the other. 

 

Damian was surprised when he collapsed onto his bed only to find his mind still racing. He turned from side to side and it felt like eternity had passed before he sat up again. An annoyed sigh escaped the boy and with a groan he stood up once again. 

 

“Do you know what I just can’t get out of my mind?”, the vigilante mumbled and began to walk up and down in his room. A quick glance over to his bed and his sitting doppelgänger told Damian that yes, of course the other knew what he thought.

 

“Shadows don’t just materialize for no reason. And as far as we know, Jon’s has been coming out for a while now. Even if you are an user, sometimes you won’t find out until you’re old and in danger. Jonathan is like what? 16 years old? Why would he be threatened in some way? Sure, his mother is a well known journalist and not everyone likes to read the truth but the documents from Wayne Enterprise showed no signs of threats or violence in the past. It’s the damn reason why we didn’t suspect him.”

 

Grabbing his slippers, Damian exited his room once again with Robin close behind. It was risky to enter the batcave without permission or company but the teenager had growing suspicions which he had to go after. Even if it meant to go against his father’s rules. 

 

The sudden light in the cave caused several bats to complain through screeches, however luckily that was the only distant sound he could hear. Damian sat down in the batchair and logged into the computer with Grayson’s password. Sure, Drake and he were working together but he knew better than to expect Timothy to allow him to know his password. His oldest brother, however, trusted him almost blindly and for the first time since he had arrived in Gotham Damian actually felt guilty about misusing information he had gotten in a peaceful moment. His fingers flew over the keyboard and he searched through several folders and cases for any abnormalities involving Metropolis and its area. 

 

And truth be told, his gut feeling had been right. 

 

Among several newspapers talking about ghost stories involving a demon with black eyes, Damian also found a list with names crossed out. He recognized a few of these and even though those people had all lived at different places and had never known each other, there was a simple similarity they all had shared. 

 

They had all been shadow users. 

 

Seeing how many had already been slayed managed to sent a shiver down the boy’s spine and the cave seemed cooler and darker than usually. Robin’s emotions only made it worse and his doppelgänger tensed up next to him. 

 

His father had once created a list to keep track of everyone who shared their gifts. It was for control and security, he had been told back then. And it had been the reason as to why Damian had told nobody about Jon. 

 

And yet the list read “Jonathan Kent” right under his own name. 

 

Whatever this…  _ hit list  _ was, it was obvious which family member was in charge of this case. 

 

“That damn Drake… Played me like a freaking fool. And we walked straight into his stupid trap!”

 

Damian logged out of his brother’s account and stormed off, his shadow right behind him. He didn’t know whether he should confront his brother right away or plan his revenge, however the sight of somebody in their hall stopped him from doing either. 

 

Just his luck to meet  _ him  _ right now. 

 

“Shouldn’t you be asleep? Dream of unicorns and murder?”

 

Unclenching his jaw, Damian bit his cheek. 

 

“Todd.”

 

This black sheep of the family was the last person he wanted to talk to. It seemed as if the other could feel his hostile mood, seeing as how his brother raised a brow. 

 

“Who did our little baby bat wrong?”

 

Not wanting to talk, Damian wanted to walk away but he was stopped by a hand on his arm. He pulled away and was ready to snap at his brother, however it was Robin who wished for him to stay.

 

“Leave. Now.”

 

The pain of his shadow as he was forced to disappear tore through his body, but Damian couldn’t give a damn in that moment. He felt betrayed, alone, and incredibly angry.

 

“You really are pissed, aren’t you?”

 

The boy felt irritated by the small smile on Todd’s face, especially when the other reached for his motorbike helmet on a nearby shelf. 

 

“Come on, baby brat. I know just the right cure for moments like these.”

 

“I’m underage, Todd. No alcohol for me.” Damian warned.

 

“You overestimate Gotham. Now come on.”


	17. Chapter 17

Tapping his fingers on the table, Damian continued his silent glaring contest with his brother. He was surprised that a fast food restaurant was still open in the middle of the night but here they were, sitting at a table and waiting for their orders.

 

“If you continue frowning like that you will get wrinkles like your old man.”

 

Todd was annoying. Sure, Grayson usually ignored his glares as well, however _this_ brother actually found joy in the annoyance Damian displayed.

 

Just as irritating as Drake.

 

“Father does not have wrinkles. Now tell me already the reason for this unnecessary torture. Why am I stuck with you here in this old and filthy place?”

 

He simply received a raised brow in return.

 

“Hey now, don’t insult this diner. I’m here quite often.”

 

“Not surprising.”

 

Before they could continue their bickering, the waitress brought the food. A strawberry milkshake and veggie burger for Damian, a burger and fries for Todd. Silent moments passed in which the teenager examined his dinner until he doomed it edible.

 

“So tell me, who pissed you so off?”

 

The teenager considered not answering, however he knew how persistent Todd could be. Knowing his brother, Damian assumed that they wouldn’t leave so quickly.

 

“It was Drake. He had broken a promise behind my back and I expected more loyalty from father’s dog.”

 

Taking a bite, Todd nodded and took his time before replying.

 

“I heard from the golden boy that you two started spending time. What was the promise about? Later bedtime?”

 

His annoyance must have been shown on his face because the older man continued to talk.

 

“I’m not trying to tease you, kid…. Not much, at least. Look, if there’s someone who knows what it’s like to not see eye to eye with this family, it’s me. You can talk to me, I was in the same boat once.”

 

Considering his options, Damian sighed and began to play around with the straw. He took a small sip and licked his lips, the taste of strawberries present.

 

“Remember the idiotic gala evening from a while ago? The one you did not have to attend? I had sent Robin out for some… investigation… and he found an undocumented shadow. It was an opportunity to prove myself to father so I wanted to find the original by myself.”

 

“So what? Drake was your chauffeur? Your excuse to be away from the cave and the old man?”

 

Damian simply shrugged and took a bite from his burger. He was surprised by the rather richful taste but the boy would be dammed to admit it to the other.

 

“I used Drake’s influence and rank in WE to get information. And once we had found the user, Drake went to father behind my back and told him about the whole thing.”  


“Ohhh, alright. Now I get it. You’re talking about the doppelgänger crisis. Yeah, your old man forbad us to tell you. But if you know it anyway then he can’t blame me.”

 

_A crisis?_

 

Damian remembered the names that had been crossed out, knew that several allies had died… However, his father usually wasn’t one to share a case with the whole family unless necessary. If there was truly a danger ahead that would require them to work together, then why the hell hadn’t he been informed?

 

Tightening his hold on the milkshake, the teenager released a small curse when some spilled over his hand.

 

“Why would father let everybody in on this but me? I am an excellent fighter with wide knowledge of things you can only dream of; it’s idiotic to keep me out. I did everything he and Grayson asked me of… only to be doubted still?”

 

“It’s unfair, isn’t it?”

 

Todd’s voice was surprisingly soft and warm, different from the usual snarky undertone. It forced Damian to look up from his food only to meet his brother’s gaze. Usually, the boy hated seeing pity or empathy directed at him, though it was something new seeing it from the black sheep who normally gave a damn about them.

 

“I’ve been there. Still am, I guess. It’s rare that the big bad bat fills me in on something but that whole shadow thing is growing into something he can’t hide from us any longer. Someone is running around just killing our kind so he had to inform us eventually. Maybe he wants to protect you.”

 

“But I don’t need protection!” Damian interrupted, hands slammed on the table. The waiters looked over to them and Todd showed some of his fries into the boy’s mouth.

 

“Shut it, kid. Keep it low, will you?”

 

Chewing on the fries, Damian glared at his older brother but decided to stay quiet. Whether he liked it or not, but Todd was right. They didn’t need to pull any unnecessary attention.

 

“The family and your unfortunate classmates know you don’t need protection. But every full moon your old man decides to actually care about his kids. So as irrationally as it is, B wants to protect his hot headed son from running after a killer all by himself.”

 

“I would never…”

 

Todd raised his brow.

 

“Okay, maybe I _would._ But that’s only because in this hell family secrets are as common as sleep deprivation. I mean, have you seen Drake recently? He fell asleep in a WE meeting and no one dared to wake him up. And don’t get me started on father…”

 

“Just another dysfunctional family with a bat and fighting crime fetish. And the golden boy wonders why I’m doing my own thing.”

 

Taking another bite from his burger, Jason leaned back, eyes seemingly studying Damian.

 

“Your old man is an… well, old dog. It’s too late for new tricks. Keeping secrets is his thing and he did that with each of us, you’re not a demonic snowflake. Though whether you like it or not, B seems to be scared for your well-being. Is it the right thing to do to hold information back? Eh, but then again your daddy’s alter ego wears bat ears. There is not much to be expected. So I’m telling you to get over yourself and confront him with it.”

 

Damian remained quiet for a few moments, lazily playing with his straw as he thought about it.

 

“Because confrontation is your speciality, hood?”

 

The smirk the older sent him was contagious, however the kick against his knee quickly got rid of his smile.

 

“Do as I say not as I do, kiddo. Now careful what you say, or you can pay for all of this.”


	18. Chapter 18

Waking up the next morning, Damian didn’t feel well rested at all. So much had happened in the past 24 hours and even after his ‘breakfast’ with Todd he hadn’t been able to calm the racing thoughts. A shadow killer, Jonathan knowing, Drake sharing their mission…

 

With a sigh the teenager sat up and ran a hand through his sweaty hair, a small smile appearing once his dog peaked over the bed.

 

“What mountains shall we move today, boy?” Damian petted the animal’s head and stood up, arms stretching.

 

“A quick shower and then you will get your breakfast. Wait here for me.”

 

The bathroom felt rather chilled and Damian grimaced at the bright light the second he turned it on. With a half mind of turning it off again he began to strip, quickly entering the shower to escape the cold. Hot water began to rain down on him and the teenager sighed in relief as the exhaustion from the past day left his muscles. The smell of his midnight snack was washed away and it felt like the boy could finally breathe again.

 

Hair and body was quickly cleaned, and once a towel was wrapped around his waist Damian exited the warm shower. Wiping the fog from the mirror, he examined himself and furrowed the brows when there were still no stubbles to see. It was frustrating, being a young adult with no beard visible. Even Drake had to shave from time to time. And Damian sure as hell was manlier than that beanpole.

 

A small whine outside the door reminded the teenager of his plan and he reached for his toothbrush.

 

“Yes, yes, I’m coming, Titus. Talk about a spoiled dog…”

 

* * *

 

“You are way too eager for this training, Kent.”

 

“Are you kidding? I didn’t sleep at all! I was too pumped so let’s begin already!”

 

Rolling his eyes, Damian simply sighed and glanced over to Colin who was sitting with his back against the wall in their training room. His friend sent him a thumbs up instead of actually helping, already fitting well into this malfunctioning family.

 

“I need you to calm down first, Jonathan.”

 

“Sure thing, sir Robin Wayne sir!”

 

It was almost annoying how irritating the bright smile in combination with the salutation was, but Damian tried to shove those thoughts away. At least one of the duo had to be the adult.

 

“Come over here.”

 

The light had been dimmed in the room and in the middle of the room were two pillows and a candle. Sitting down on one, the boy waved the other over and motioned for him to do the same.

 

“Your enthusiasm is… welcomed, I guess. However, you need to focus in order to consciously summon your alter ego. Sure, you seem to have some kind of talent in there somewhere, but it must become as natural as breathing if you wish to truly start training.”

 

Damian reached his hands out over the little flame of the candle, palms facing up.

 

“Give me your hands and close your eyes. Focus on the scent, don’t think about anything…”

 

After some hesitation surprisingly soft hands touched his. Damian had expected them to be rough from farm work and from doing chores, though they were rather pleasant to touch. He gave his friend a few moments before clicking his tongue.

 

“Your pulse, Kent. It’s still too fast.”

 

Jonathan had no right to chuckle so lightheartedly in response.

 

“Darn, sorry. This is just so exciting. I had heard about the masked vigilantes of Gotham but meeting one myself? And finding out I could also be a hero… It’s so cool!”

 

_A hero, huh?_

 

“We aren’t heroes, idiot. Now shut up and concentrate.”

 

Damian waited a few more moments until he was sure that his friend had relaxed. He used the time to take in Jonathan’s features - the messy and uncombed hair, the faint freckles plastered all over that slightly tanned skin, and the way too big shirt with some kind of anime figure on it.

 

“Take a deep breath, Jon. Focus on my voice. In order for your shadow to appear, you need to reach out for your hidden self. Our doppelgängers show who we are inside and who we want to be. It’s like and extension of yourself. Somewhere deep inside you will feel a welcoming warmth and you need to grab it and pull it to the surface.”

 

A familiar shudder ran down his spine and Damian had to stop himself from clicking his tongue. This was all about Jonathan and yet Robin had the audacity to show up when he talked about warmth.

 

After a while Jon sighed and cracked an eye open, obviously surprised by the presence of one of his so called heroes. He seemed to swallow and lick his tongue, trying to get over the lump in his throat.

 

“I don’t think it’s working, D. I guess I can feel... something… inside. But it’s just slipping through my fingers like sand! Is there any other way we could get it out? There gotta be an easier way.”

 

Damian simply clicked his tongue and glared over his shoulder at the shadow. He had felt that thought of the other and the teenager was not agreeing at all. Though Robin did have a point… even if it was hard to admit. With great reluctance the boy pulled his hands away and leaned back, creating space for his doppelgänger to act. A batarang was drawn from the other’s belt and a second later it was already aiming at Jonathan’s chest. Damian held his breath, unsure if his decision had been the right one, however black mist blocking the weapon answered his insecurity soon enough.

 

The batarang had come to a stop in front of Jonathan, a dark cloud stopping it mid-air. It began to form until it resembled a hand and the rest of a body soon followed. Jonathan’s shadow seemed to still take a long time to manifest, though once it was fully developed Damian saw with amusement that it was wearing the same clothes as its original. Cold and emotionless white stared at something behind him and the batarang was thrown back, easily caught by Robin with a smirk.

 

Gosh, how Damian hated it when Robin was right.

 

“Did you—he—you guys—just threw a _hecking_ boomerang at my head??”

 

“You do realize you are not at home, right? You can curse here. Besides, it was him not me. And it worked, your shadow came out at the first sign of danger. Though you still need to work on summoning him without endangering yourself.”

 

Crossing his arms, Damian tried to wave off the impulsive action of Robin. Sure, it had worked, but what if it hadn’t? He didn’t want to cause harm to Jon, yet alone became a threat to the other. If that shadow were to see him as a risk to its original, the boy would have way more trouble teaching.

 

Relief washed over him when Jonathan directed his attention to his doppelgänger,instead of going on over the possible assassination attempt. There was a certain awe and fascination in those clear blue eyes and Damian wondered whether there had ever been a time when he had looked at Robin the same way.

 

“Damian.”

 

If anyone were to ask him later, the teenager would deny the fact that he had visibly flinched when his father’s voice echoed through the training room all of a sudden. He had been stupid enough to let his guard down and here his dad was, easily scaring him.

 

“Father?”

 

Bruce’s attention seemed to rest on Jonathan and his shadow for a few moments and Damian felt the need to stand up and move between them, cutting off the eye contact.

 

“Good morning… Mister Wayne… sir…” Jonathan whispered unsurely, intimidated by the man’s presence.

 

“Good morning, Jonathan… Mind if I steal Damian for a few minutes?”

 

“Oh, not at all, sir! I mean, it’s not like I don’t enjoy Damian’s presence and would want him away but I totally get that you two might need a moment and I won’t stand in the way but uhm I guess what I’m trying to say is… I’m gonna shut up now.”

 

The hint of a smile appeared on Damian’s lips and he watched as Jonathan tried his best to sink into the ground.

 

“Colin, stop being lazy and watch over Jon for me.”

 

Remaining silent as he exited the training room, the boy followed his father into the kitchen. It was an awkward atmosphere and neither Wayne spoke up, seemingly waiting for the other to start.

 

“Damian, I…”

 

“I’ve seen the documents and newspapers, father. I know that you were trying to hide something from me. There is no need to talk around the topic.”

 

He avoided the man’s eyes as best as he could and stared down at his fingers, nervously fidgeting around. Of course it wouldn’t go past the greatest detective that Damian had sneaked into the cave and the boy already expected some form of punishment.

 

“I talked to Jason. Well, more like I listened to the first voicemail he has left in a long time. I won’t repeat all his cursing but his arguments were rather… persuasive, to say the least. What I’m trying to say is that Jason is right and you deserve to know about this threat.”

 

Green widened and Damian looked up to his father, searching for any hints of lies. But there was an honesty in those usually stern eyes that could not be faked and a warmth began to spread through the teeenager’s chest.

 

Who would have thought that Todd would ever stand up for him?

 

A heavy but warm hand was placed on his shoulder and Damian swallowed as his father leaned down to be on his eye level.

 

“I know you are almost an adult and I shouldn’t treat you like a child anymore. But you have to understand one thing, Damian. No matter your age and experience, you will always be my son. Just like the others. And it’s my role as your father to protect you. And I won’t apologize for trying to keep you safe.”

 

Being pulled into a hug was the last thing Damian expected and he simply stood there, frozen in his movements. He tried to hold back the upcoming sob and lifted his arms, unsurely returning the embrace. His hold strengthened slowly and the boy buried his face in his father’s neck, breathing in some kind of cologne.

 

It was comfort Damian hadn’t known he needed.

 

“I’m still gonna get revenge on Drake for ratting me out.” he mumbled under his breath, smiling when his father actually chuckled.

 

“Just make sure not to break anything or Alfred will have a talk with me and those never end well.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this is all I got for now, if you've made it this far then thank you.
> 
> I've been working on this fic for over a year now and even though I had planned to publish it once it was finished, I gotta admit I've been hitting writers blocks a lot these past few months. 
> 
> Please feel free to comment, I really wish to finish this story but I need to rediscover my motivation and inspiration first.


	19. Chapter 19

When Damian returned to the training room he was more than surprised to see Colin, Jonathan, and the shadows all piled together. They were whispering and Jon’s doppelgänger pointed at something in the other’s hands. 

 

“What are you doing?”

 

Colin was the only one to look up from their current activity and Damian raised a brow when he was waved over. 

 

“Jon asked me about Robin’s clothes and I told him what you explained to me. You know, shadows appearing the way their masters want them to. And now we are designing Sam’s hero costume.”

 

“Sam?”

 

Damian’s eyes moved over towards the shadow and he clicked his tongue in disagreement. 

 

“You guys did  _ not  _ call a possible weapon  _ Sam _ .”

 

No matter how endearing Jonathan’s smile was to other people, in that moment the teenager simply wanted to strangle the other. 

 

“What do you have against it? He’s me so I decided to name him Samuel. You know, like my middle name.” 

 

Oh boy, teaching Jon might be more of a challenge than Damian had expected. Maybe he even was a lost cause, judging by those horrific naming skills. With some hesitation he closed the distance and peaked over Colin’s shoulder to see the design the two friends had come up with. 

 

Damian didn’t know what he had expected but it surely hadn’t been a blue hoodie with a red cape, torn pants, and some casual shoes. Was this really Jonathan’s vision of a hero persona?

 

“So let me get this straight… Your shadow will look exactly like you but with a cape, and he will be called Samuel. Why don’t you just give him a sign that says ‘Jonathan Samuel Kent’? That is an easier way to shout out your identity.”

 

He tried his best to hold back his smile as he saw how Jonathan pouted at him. The mental connection to a kicked puppy was unavoidable and Damian had half a mind to ruffle black hair just to enforce the imaginative picture. 

 

“If you formulate it like that it sounds like a dumb idea.”

 

“That’s because it is a dumb—” Interrupted by an elbow to his side, Damian looked down at Colin who simply glared up at him. 

 

“Fine, it’s not  _ dumb.  _ But I would heavily suggest that you come up with an alias that can be used when outside. Your superheroes from those movies also have codenames, right?”

 

Sending his friend a glance, the teenager got a confirming nod for his rephrasing. Social interactions sure weren’t his strongest skill, however Damian was rather pleased with his treatment of the country boy. It seemed like his words had actually reached Jonathan and the other stuck out his tongue in concentration.

 

“You may have a point there, bird boy.” Colin mumbled with a smirk. 

 

“And I may kick you out of the family, fanboy.” Damian shot back. 

 

The two friends bickered around for a few more seconds before their attention returned to the drawing on the ground. Jonathan had drawn a big ‘S’ onto the hoodie now and the vigilante wondered whether the other had actually understood the meaning of a secret identity. 

 

“Jonno, writing an S on your chest for Samuel isn’t the smartest move.” Colin tried helpfully but the younger teenager shook his head. 

 

“It stands for superboy! You know Iron Man and Spider-Man? I’m adding a boy cause it sounds like their cool names! And once I’m an adult I will be superman.”

 

The two brothers exchanged a quick glance. 

 

“That’s… lame.” Damian deadpanned as he leaned back on his arms. 

 

“You’re lame!” Jon countered with a tongue stuck out. 

 

“Real mature, did you learn that from your parents?”

 

“Okay, alright, stop it you two.” Colin intervened before a fight could break out. He placed his hand on Damian’s shoulder and green eyes judged him for the contact. 

 

“Whatever.” Damian shrugged off the limb and crossed his arms. He could argue about the name later, for now their training was more important. With a killer out there hunting each of them it was a literal case of life and death, and Jonathan needed to know at least a few ways to defend himself. 

 

“Today we will mostly focus on your communication skills. Teach you how to use certain gadgets and you will start learning ASL. It’s important so don’t slack it, we use it to talk to our mute shadows.”

 

Pointing over to his own shadow, Damian clicked his tongue upon noticing what his other self was currently signing. 

 

_ We will  _ **_not_ ** _ teach him that kind of words, Robin.  _

 

“Communication? Come on, D, that’s lame! Can’t you, like, teach me how to wield a sword? Throw some ninja stars? Or some cool moves like all those people in movies do!”

 

Damian could feel the mental scissors dangerously close to his thread of patience. 

 

“Tell you what, Kent. Once you got the basic numbers and letters down, I will humor you for a few minutes. I will let you fight Wilkes, though I doubt you can even beat him.” 

 

The spark of determination in those too blue eyes was enough to get Jonathan off his back for a little while, and Damian silently released the breath he had been holding. 

 

_ So far so good. Now let us hope there’s more to his head than those messy locks.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!  
> If you wish to read more about this universe please feel free to leave a comment! Every support is appreciated
> 
>  
> 
> My tumblr: [farbsturz](http://farbsturz.tumblr.com/)

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!  
> If you wish to read more about this universe please feel free to leave a comment! Every support is appreciated
> 
>  
> 
> My tumblr: [farbsturz](http://farbsturz.tumblr.com/)


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